Labyrinth: The Dream Never Ends
by Eriks leadinglady
Summary: JxS. Sarah once again learns a new lesson... and gets to have fun with Jareth at the same time. Or at least that's what she hopes.
1. Prologue

**_A/N:_** _Hola!! Welcome everyone to the newly revised version of my Laby story! (throws confetti) It's gonna be a party, what can I say? Anyway, I really hope you all enjoy this and please let me know what you think, so I can once more better myself as a writer. So enjoy!! Thxs!_

**_Disclaimer:_** _The Labyrinth is not mine. Henson's. However, all OC's are mine so no taking without permission. May cause excessive guilt and spontaneous combustion. These little buggers are flammable. Also known to bite._

-

-

-

-

**_Labyrinth: The Dream Never Ends_**

_By: Eriksleadinglady_

-

-

-

-

**Prologue**

The days were long, but the nights were always longer. Every night, Sarah tried to delay sleep as long as possible, because of her horrible nightmares that never left and always stayed the same. Honestly, she just got sick of it all. On multiple occasions, she wished that she could disappear, but Sarah knew that her disappearance would never happen. Besides, she would never again wish anything to be taken away, for she now knew just how dreams could become reality.

She sighed as the final school bell set off the end of the day and the beginning of another summer. Sarah watched as all the flirtatious, materialistic girls ran to meet their college friends, talking about what they were to do over the summer. They talked of partying – getting _trashed_, as the girls called it – going on vacation, and hanging out with their boyfriends. The group laughed as one of them told a funny story about what her boyfriend did last night – something about thinking he was a celebrity when he was drunk; Sarah wasn't sure. After the story, they all piled into a convertible Audi GT and drove off together to the mall.

Sometimes, Sarah wanted to have friends like that, with whom she could tell her secrets to and laugh with. She wanted to be able to talk to people, but instead she always choked and stuttered on her words, stumbling away embarrassed. She rarely ever got along with people, and when she did, she never carried the relationships throughout the years, too afraid that if people got to really know her, they would leave. So instead of having friends, or rather acquaintances, dump her, Sarah got to it first and cut off all contact.

It may seem pathetic – a nineteen-year-old girl with no friends, no love life, no fun – and it may certainly appear that way to others. But in a way, she did have her friends; they just were never there

She made a sour face. Ever since the Labyrinth, she had been plagued with dreams and nightmares, having more than desirable. She often wondered if they would ever end, and even more so she wondered why they were even there. It seemed pointless to her now to dream of such petty and childish things, but she couldn't help it. Her real life is so unfulfilling that her dreams had to make up for what it lacked, and that was nearly everything. With no social life, Sarah found herself feeling overly lonely. Of course she wanted some friends, but she just didn't really know how to get them – and keep them.

After the accident, Sarah never really spoke with what was left of her family either. Her father still tried to reach out, but Sarah always removed herself from any family oriented situation and conversation. Because she lacked personal relationships, her life was slowly dissipating around her. Sarah just didn't know what to do about her low social abilities – or her low self-respect, for that matter – and didn't believe that she really could do anything either.

As Sarah began to walk home to her apartment, she saw a white barn owl flying in the distance. She considered it odd for that particular animal to be flying around at this time of day, and for a split second, she considered the alternative for what else it could have been.

Sarah shook her head in dismay. She really needed to stop thinking about such foolish things. He was never coming back, and she was never going back. No time to waste precious moments, and sleep, on an adventure that probably never even happened. No point in wishing for something that will never come true.

0o0o0ooo0o0o0o0o00o00o

When Sarah finally got home, it was nearly 5 pm. She plopped her books down on the counter and glanced carelessly at the answering machine nearby. It flashed '1 new message'. Sarah frowned. No one left her messages.

Curious, she pushed the play button and listened to the message. After only the first word, she realized that it was her dad. She rolled her eyes; she should've figured it was him. He was the only one who ever called Sarah; either that or her stepmother, Karen, but she usually only called her when she was angry with Sarah's dad. But even so, she never listened to a thing that Karen said. She usually just placed the phone down on the counter and then left to watch TV, since Karen never expected her to say anything anyway.

With these thoughts in her head, Sarah remembered a phone call that she had held with Karen only a few days ago…

"_Hi Sarah, sweetie, it's Karen."_

"_Hi."_

"_How are you?" Karen asked sweetly, although Sarah knew that the woman didn't really care, and in just a few moments, she would be talking about her day._

"_Just fine." She paused, thinking about whether to return the same courtesy. But, she knew that if she did not, then the conversation would end up even worse. "And you?" she asked, finally yielding._

"_Oh, you know, the usual," Karen responded, nicely at first, but then her voice became annoyed. "But your father… Today, I asked him to clean the dishes. And did he do them? No! He just sat in his office, saying that he had to 'work'. Can you believe the nerve of that man? I work my butt off all day, and I still find the time to clean! Why can't he? Oh! He is just so inconsiderate of all that I do for him! I mean, I took care of you when you were younger, when you needed help. I even offered to help you with the boys!" At last Karen paused in her tantrum. "By the way, Sarah, while we're on the topic…" Sarah sighed. "How are the boys?"_

"_Fine," Sarah answered simply. She did not want to go into this again._

"_You really should date more. I mean, you're a pretty enough girl, there's no reason that you shouldn't be dating. And not just dating, mind you, but you could use some friends too. Maybe, go out to clubs or whatever young people do these days. You really need to get out more."_

"_I'm fine, really, Karen," insisted Sarah. "I can take care of myself. Besides, the people at school aren't like me. I'd rather just stay at home and read a good book, while they just want to go to clubs and drink. That's just not me."_

_Sarah heard Karen sigh as she submitted. "Okay, Sarah, I'll drop it for now. But at least just think about it, okay?"_

"_Okay."_

"_So, now where was I?" began Karen once again. "Oh yes, your father…"_

As the message came to a close, she realized that her father had called for nothing, again. She would probably call him back tomorrow, or maybe the next day, or the next, whenever she wanted to deal with his probing.

Sarah walked over to the freezer and pulled out the Healthy Choice spaghetti TV dinner – her usual food – and placed it into the microwave as she turned on the television. Once again, nothing interesting was on, but she watched it nonetheless. Once her dinner was complete, she took it out and ate it as she sat on the couch, feeling the excitement of real life... yeah, right.

For the rest of the evening, that was what she did. Watched TV, occasionally reading The Thorn Birds on commercial breaks. Then it rolled around to nine o'clock, and she decided that it was time to go to sleep. In her pajamas, she climbed into her bed, and turned off the light, preparing for another lovely nightmare.


	2. The world is neither fair nor unfair

_**Disclaimer**: If I owned the Labyrinth, do you really think that I would be posting a sequel here? Nay, I would be making millions of dollars and I would own Dumbo – the dvd. However, I do own the OC's presently present here, and they do not like to be used without permission. But a little birdie once told me that it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission…… But that isn't the case here, bucko! So hand's off!_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_**Labyrinth: The Dream Never Ends**_

_By: Eriksleadinglady_

**-**

**-**

**-**

**-**

**-**

**-**

**Chapter 1: The world is neither fair nor unfair**

_Green hedges. They were everywhere, but that's where they always were. They blinded her vision as she tried to look for a way out. Just some way out. But there was no way out; there never was._

_She kept on running, but could find no end to her trouble. Everywhere she turned, there was just another pathway, another green hedge, another losing battle. She felt her knees growing weak from all her running, her sprinting. Would it never end?_

_Even her friends, all the creatures she met while in the Labyrinth, were not here to help her. Even when she called them, they did not come. Didn't they tell her to call whenever she needed them? Well she did call many times and some help they were, never showing up. _

_As Sarah rounded another corner, she only saw more tremendous green hedges. She wanted to scream at the Labyrinth with all her might, but she knew that it would not help; it never did. Besides, giving in to her anger, or rather just giving up in general, would only please the Goblin King – and that was the last thing she wanted to do. No matter how much she hated being here, no matter how much she hated running around this place, she would never give the Goblin King what he wanted – her losing._

_She rounded yet another corner, and another, going left, left again, but then she ran into a dead end. Crying out in desperation, Sarah spun around and ran back to where she came from. This time, she took a right instead and kept going down. Taking another right, she continued sprinting down the long corridors. She could feel her legs losing strength, her breath beginning to catch in her throat, her heart pounding as though it would burst right out of her chest. But Sarah knew that she had to continue on to whatever fate awaited her; she would not give up. So she kept going down the same path until she came upon a left turn. Taking the turn, she then found another right. However, none of the paths that she had chosen led her anywhere; she was still completely lost._

But wait_… she stopped for a moment to stare into the distance, her breath coming in short gasps. Sarah paused, placing her hands on her knees for a moment, and then she stood up straight once more. Raising a hand to her eyes as a shield, she attempted to see the sparkle again. There it was! It appeared to be a mix of silver and gold, sparkling in the sun and calling to her. Keeping her eye on the shining object, Sarah began to run toward it before it disappeared. _

_She knew that the Labyrinth loved to play tricks on people, making them come to something they thought was good, when it was rather something to hurt them on their quest. Sarah shook her head. She didn't care right now, about all the trickery, the magic. This thing… whatever it was… was the only thing she had seen that was not green. Perhaps it was something bad – horrible even – but still, it was different. Perhaps that was what she needed: a change._

_At last, after all her running, she had finally reached the shining object. It was not what she had expected at all. It wasn't actually an object that would normally be glinting in the sun. It was a tiny tree, possibly a little aspen, but Sarah wasn't sure. The bark was the color of mirroring silver, allowing Sarah to view her torn, messed appearance – dirt caked on her face and hair, her shirt and pants torn with dirt on them, and a tiny gash on her left knee. Although her appearance was rather grudge-like, Sarah could care less about it. This tree was too captivating for her to care for anything else. On the tree, the tear-shaped leaves were a golden hue, matching the sun, as well as reflecting its light._

_Sarah cocked her head. The tree was so small, reaching only up to her knee. However, the tree looked to be full-grown, and it seemed so peaceful and calm, like it had no care in the world. Slowly, Sarah reached out her hand to touch the amazing little tree, moving inch by inch, her eyes getting wider as she got closer to the bark. She did so until finally her fingertips touched the silvery wonder. _

_Immediately upon impact, Sarah withdrew her hand for the bark was extremely hot, a burning temperature. Sarah's eyes narrowed at the tree, wondering what it did, what its purpose was._

_Suddenly, the ground beneath her feet began to rumble violently. Sarah had to lean on the hedge around her in order to keep her balance. Then, in front of her, the silver tree began to grow bigger and bigger, still keeping its same shape, but just growing so large that it now quadrupled Sarah in size. She stared up at it in awe, wondering why it had done such a thing._

_When the trembling had finally subsided, Sarah carefully approached the tree, walking around it and checking it out from every angle. From what she could tell, the tree was exactly the same as it had been before, but it had somehow just enlarged. _

_With a sudden jolt, the trees branches flailed around, taking on a life of their own. They flung around in wild arcs and circles, one branch, knocking Sarah to the ground. The sky turned a bloody red as lightning struck in the distance and thunder rumbled the sky. Sarah watched in horror as the trees branches kept on swinging in all directions. Then the branches took on a new task and began slapping the ground where Sarah was laying. Sarah rolled from side to side in order to avoid getting squashed like a bug. The trees color then began to swirl and from the middle a black spot formed, spreading outward in a spiral until finally it had engulfed the entire tree, making it look like a shadow. _

_It continued to squirm and shake, and Sarah eyes it suspiciously, wary of what it would do next. From the center, the exact saem place where the black spot had formed, an entire face popped out from the inside – like the tree had given birth to the face. The large red eyes swirled about, coming into focus, until it looked straight at Sarah. The entire face was grotesque: the eyes matched the skies, the mouth held sharp, dagger-like teeth, and the nose… well the nose was missing and in its place was a red, triangular hole. After looking over Sarah, the mouth let out a terrible roar that made all the creatures within the forest tremble with fear._

_Slowly, Sarah backed up in the dust, but had to stop when she ran into the hedge behind her. Seeing her move away, the tree ripped up its roots with a pull and gained two legs. Then it advanced upon Sarah like she was its prey. _

_Sarah was paralyzed with fear of the unstoppable monster before her. She was trapped, and she had no idea what to do. There was no one to help her, no one to come and save her from her terrible fate. Except…_

_As the tree began to close in on her, taking large strides, Sarah did the only thing that she knew would help her. She called for him._

"_Jareth!" she yelled somewhat quietly at first._

"_Jareth!" even louder._

_Then with one last breath she screamed it._

"JARETH!!!"

Sarah awoke in her bed, sitting straight up, looking around her room for any sign of danger. When she saw none, she sighed and laid back down in her bed, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples. This was the fifth time she had had the same dream, but this time, she finally made it to the end. She always woke up right when the tree transformed. Never had she been cornered like that before. And never, _never_, before had she called _his_ name. She knew just how dangerous that could be.

Just as she was about to fall back sleep, she heard the voice that she had been dreaded this whole time.

"You called?"

Sarah's eyes immediately flew open as she looked over to where the voice had come from. Then she saw him: the Goblin King, Jareth. Sarah screamed in shock at the new presence, and for a moment forgot where she was and mistakenly tumbled out of her bed. She fell onto the floor with a little "thump" in a heap of sheets and blankets. Afterwards, she felt quite embarrassed for what had happened, even more so because it had happened in front of _him._ She stayed on the floor for some time, not wanting to face the Goblin King. She had actually never wanted to face the King ever again, but that had not turned out the way she had wanted either.

She then heard footsteps walking around her bed, and her breath caught in her throat as she saw his boots stop right in front of her. She watched him as he bent down to her level and cocked his head to the side, his eyes dancing with amusement.

"Liking the floor, I see?" he mocked.

Sarah's eyes narrowed as she tossed the covers off of her and rose to her feet to face him. Once she had stood, Jareth did also, never taking his eyes off of her.

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied sarcastically, puffing her chest out in defiance. "Thanks for asking."

"Oh good," Jareth taunted with a smirk lighting his face. "I thought you had died on me."

"Wouldn't that be convenient," she mumbled as she began to replace the covers onto the bed.

"Nice pajamas," Jareth remarked as his eyes wandered over Sarah's somewhat exposed body. For a split second, Sarah looked into his eyes, which were dark and consuming. There was an underlying presence in that challenging look he was giving her, but Sarah couldn't quite place it; after all, no one had looked at her in that way before. Jareth was holding her gaze, unblinking, but Sarah quickly glanced away, the long look making her feel uncomfortable. Also, she remembered that she was only wearing short shorts and a spaghetti strap top, making it seem as though Jareth had X-ray vision and was looking right through her.

Turning away from Jareth, she attempted to cover herself up by wrapping her arms around her abdomen, but it didn't help at all. She turned around and faced Jareth, who was now standing there looking entertained, his former look of interest now gone.

"Could I maybe get changed?" she asked, although she probably already knew the answer.

"I don't know," he said as he approached her smoothly. "You look like quite the temptress in those… clothes."

That was the end of the rope for Sarah.

"Okay, I am changing," she said quickly as she went to her closet to find some suitable, modest clothes.

"Oh good, a show," mocked Jareth as he took a seat on her bed and crossed his legs, a smile on his face. Although he didn't quite act it, Sarah was sure that he actually wanted one.

However, Sarah didn't even respond, but just went into the adjacent bathroom and locked the door behind her while she changed. The whole time she was in there, which was about five minutes, she prayed and prayed that he would be gone by the time she got out. She was not really in the mood to face the oh-so-famous Goblin King, since it was just 4 o'clock in the morning, and besides, she had not seen him in nearly four years. Why would she want to start now?

Gathering all her courage and wits, Sarah – now dressed in comfortable athletic pants a white tee – finally stepped out of the bathroom. However, she was not surprised when she still saw Jareth sitting on her bed.

"Why are you here?" she asked as she stood in front of him, arms crossed over her chest.

"You called me here," was his simple response.

"No, no I didn't," argued Sarah.

Jareth smiled that arrogant smile of his. "You were never good at lying."

Sarah sighed her annoyance. "Okay so I called you in my dream... or rather, nightmare," she added grimly. "But that doesn't count!"

Jareth gave her a pout as he rose to his feet. "But dreams are the most real thing, Sarah. They reveal what the subconscious mind wants. And obviously," he continued as he stood behind her, only inches away from her back, "that was me."

Sarah felt his hot breath on the back of her neck, and, fearing what _she_ might do, instantly moved away from him. "Just because you're here does not mean that this is about you."

"But isn't it?" came his reply, eyes gleaming with newfound interest.

"No. I had I nightmare."

Jareth placed a hand to chest. "Why, Sarah, I am truly honored that you would think of me in your time of need."

"Well, I was in your Labyrinth," she continued. "So who else would I call?"

Jareth thought about this for a moment. "Hoggle? Sir Didymus? Ludo? I don't know, just throwing out some names."

Sarah paused for a second, taking in deep breaths to calm herself. It was true that her previous friends didn't help her anymore; they never did. She had always wondered about this, actually, but even thinking about it brought tears to her eyes, for she missed them often. Pushing back tears threatening to pour down her face, she prepared herself for the hollow answers. Sarah looked him straight in the eye and said, "They didn't come."

Then Jareth broke out into a fit of laughter, causing Sarah to draw back in confusion. "This is too good!" he said in between laughs. "They were your friends, and they didn't come to help you? Oh my!" More insane laughter. "And I, your sworn villain, am standing right in front you at your beck and call?" And still more laughter. "Oh dear! Are you not important enough for them to come and help you? Do they loathe you so much after what you had done, that they discontinued all connections?" And still, through all his mockery, the Goblin King still stood there laughing.

_Sarah could picture Jareth holding him, her kid brother. She watched as he held him close as he faded away into the distance, leaving her without him. She felt her heart rise up into her throat… no, not again. She couldn't lose him again…_

"_He's mine," a whispering, all-too familiar voice said._

"Shut up!" cried Sarah as she pushed his chest, trying to make him just stop the laughter. But when he didn't, she continued to push him. "Shut up shut up shut up!" she screamed at him, punching his chest, until he finally grabbed her wrists forcefully.

"Sarah," he said when she still continued to try and beat at him, saying shut up whenever she could. "Sarah," he repeated. Still, she did not stop. "Sarah!" he yelled.

This finally got her attention and she stopped attacking him, her wrists still in his bruising grip.

Sarah felt like she was on the verge of tears, but she wouldn't dare cry. Not in front of him; _never _in front of him. She could feel his eyes boring into hers, and she couldn't help but look away, breaking the connection first.

When Jareth finally let go of her wrists, she slowly backed away from him and sat down on the bed, hands shaking slightly. More than what he said had brought on her current state; it was just that he had reminded her of… Toby. She felt herself break even more when she thought of him. Not only that, but Jareth did mention her friends who she had not talked to in four years, and the pain of that hurt as well. But not as much as Toby.

"What happened?" Jareth asked; his voice slated with concern – a trait usually not shown by the Goblin King.

Sarah sniffed. "What do you care?"

"You life is my business, Sarah. You belong to me," he replied simply.

She laughed, a horrible, cracking sound. "I am my own."

"You change the subject. Why?"

"There was no subject to change from," she replied as she turned her body away from him.

"You won't talk about it because it hurts. But you don't want it to hurt." A pause. "I can make that pain go away, Sarah."

"No one can make this pain go away," she whispered quietly as she finally turned her head and looked at him.

Jareth reached out his hand to her. "Come with me, Sarah. Come to my Labyrinth. Only there will your troubles cease to exist."

Sarah stared at his hand for a moment, unsure of what to do. She knew that Jareth was probably lying, and that this was just one of his ploys to get her to come away with him. _But what if it wasn't?_ Her mind asked. _What if he really can help? _

This life that she was living, where she kept herself in a hollow shell, was not pleasing enough. She felt like she was going crazy here, where everyone looked at her like she _was _an insane person. Sarah didn't have any friends, she never talked to her family anymore, and a love life? She couldn't possibly have less of one! And now, here he was, the Goblin King of her dreams, offering her everything that she could ever have wanted in order to escape a life that she felt wasn't even worth living.

Sarah sighed. She really didn't want to give in to him, really, she didn't, but some offers you just can't refuse.

Slowly she reached out her hand to him, watching as his eyes danced with mischief. Some part of her screamed to stop, to not accept this Goblin King's offers, but she didn't listen. She was sick of this world, of its pain, of its disappointments. She may find troubles and obstacles in the Labyrinth, but at least she would have some help. At least she would not be alone.

Then in an instant, she had grabbed his hand, accepting all of his offers, accepting to come into his world once more. Suddenly, she felt her mind begin to swirl, and she was afraid that if it didn't stop soon, she might faint. But as soon as it had all begun, it ended. Just as quick as a blink of an eye, she was back in the land of dreams, standing in his castle again, just like four years ago.

It took a moment for everything to settle in, but once it did, she realized that she was still holding his hand. Immediately she let go and took a couple of steps back, not wanting to get too close.

Jareth turned around and faced her. "You're afraid."

Sarah's brow furrowed. "I am not scared, mind you. You are not the villain that you think you are. I may have been frightened before, but I was just a child then. Besides, the last time I was here, I was _defeating you_, in case you forgot."

Jareth smirked. "That's not what I was talking about, Sarah."

"Well then what – "

But Jareth had already turned away from her and had begun walking the other way. "Come this way, my pet. I'll show you to your room."

Sarah only shook her head absentmindedly. _Fine, if he didn't want to say, then I won't push it._

But in the back of her mind, she _was_ wondering what he had been talking about. If not her fear of the Labyrinth, then what?

She began to follow him down the corridor, looking this way and that. No matter how many times she saw the castle, it's wonder and beauty never ceased to amaze her. The castle was enormous on the inside, many rooms lining its walls, with many twisting pathways to boot. From the outside, however, it looked the same size as any normal castle would – tall, stone walls, rooks to each side, and an iron barred gate – but just like everything else in this world, that look of normality was deceiving.

As Sarah was glancing at the many doors that she passed, one in particular caught her eye, and she stopped to stare at it. It was a golden lined door, with tear-shaped leaves engraved on the trim, as well as swirling vines in the white door. Slowly she brought her hand up to the door and felt its trim, thinking that it reminded her of something, but she couldn't quite place a finger on it.

…_bloody red…_

…_formed a grotesque face…._

…_limbs swinging wildly…._

…_twigs clawing and scratching at her face…._

Sarah shuddered. She remembered it then, her dream. The tree, well, the nice tree at least, had _its_ leaves carved into this gold_, its_ braches placed onto the door. In all honesty, this peaked her curiosity even more, wondering what was behind this door and if it really would reveal any of her questions of the tree.

Just as she was about to open the door, however, a hand grasped her shoulder and pulled her away. Then she looked straight in Jareth's mismatched eyes, which were swirling with anger… or was that fear?

"Do not _ever _enter that room," he told her harshly. "You will not like what you find."

"I won't? How would you know?" she responded, rolling her eyes.

He shrugged. "I am just assuming that you don't want to get killed."

"That room… it kills people?"

"Not just people, Sarah. But Goblins and anything else stupid enough to enter it." He paused. "I am the only one who has ever survived entering into that room, and I barely even did that."

"But if this realm, this Labyrinth, is all _yours_, then why would that room almost kill you?"

"Some powers cannot be controlled," he said simply as he turned away from her and began to once more walk down the hallway.

"Come along now, love," he called back. "Your room awaits."

Giving one last glance back at the door, Sarah grudgingly continued onwards after Jareth, still wanting to enter that forbidden room. For some reason, whenever someone told her not to do something, Sarah wanted to do just the opposite. But she found this only to be normal, assuming that everyone did that, and that everyone else had the same amount of curiosity that she did. Also, she wondered if that room was just another one of the Goblin King's tricks in order to scare her. After all, wasn't that his game? To play on her fear?


	3. The ideas just a way for us to undrstnd

_**Disclaimer**: Labyrinth – not mine. Jareth – not mine (at the moment…) Sarah – not mine. OC's – MINE! Oh yea! I shall be rich! Rich I tell you! Mwahahaha!_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_**Labyrinth: The Dream Never Ends**_

_By: Eriksleadinglady_

**-**

**-**

**-**

**-**

**-**

**-**

**Chapter 2: The idea is just a way for us to understand**

They got to her room in no time at all, since it was located only three hallways and two turns away from the throne room, as Jareth had told her. Even now, Sarah knew that sometime while she was here, she was going to get lost, and along with that, she knew that Jareth would be watching from one of his crystals, just laughing.

But when she entered into her room, all of her previous thoughts flew from her mind. The bedroom was breathtaking, leaving Sarah staring in wide-eyed wonder at how marvelous the decorations were. The room was a dark burgundy and gold, and the sunlight was shining in through the large window, casting a bright glow all around the room. Against the wall in the center was a circular, king-sized bed, with an oak nightstand to the left, and a large, golden-framed mirror above it. The bed had a burgundy comforter, with gold Egyptian cotton sheets, and several matching color throw pillows lined against the back. The window adjacent to the bed had a beautiful view of the Labyrinth, showcasing its many green forests and hedges, also letting the person in the room hear all the wildlife sounds coming from the Labyrinth – chirping, an occasional roar, and the rustling of the wind through the trees.

On top of the oak furniture – nightstand, dresser, and counter – were red roses, red carnations, and some dancing figurines. She wasn't sure whom the figurines were, but she did know that all the men and women were dressed formally. The women were in gorgeous flowing gowns, some a rosy pink, others a bright yellow, and some dark red. The men were in black tuxes and ties with a white undershirt and cuffs. It reminded Sarah slightly of the masquerade that she had gone to the last time she was here… or rather her _dream_ masquerade.

In the corner of the room, there was a life size statue of the Goblin King. The placement of the statue in the royal room was somewhat of a downfall for its elegance. Everything else was beautifully crafted and exquisitely colored, while the statue was just made of plain, white stone – nothing special. When Sarah saw it she rolled her eyes. She spun around and looked at Jareth, who was leaning against the doorframe, just admiring his arrangement.

"Is this some kind of joke?" she asked, pointing a finger at the statue.

Jareth smiled. "It is there for your purposes."

Sarah fought her hardest to hold in the laughter after that last comment. Her purposes? She didn't even want the real thing! Why in the world would she want a statue of him? "I have no use for such a thing." She looked at it once more. "Actually, I would feel more comfortable if you removed it. It is really creepy…" _In a beautiful way…_

Jareth stood up straight as he walked into the room, placing himself in front of the statue and stared at it. "You really don't like it?" he asked as he posed himself next to it, recreating the same stance that his stone self was in – both hands on hips and chest puffed out. "I think it looks identical."

Sarah stifled more laughter. "I never said it didn't look like you. I just don't want "you" in here all the time."

Jareth only shrugged. "As you wish. It is your safety."

"Safety?" she repeated. His last comment had piqued her curiosity. "What safety?"

"Oh, the usual. From uncontrollable magicks, spying servants, goblins, creatures of the deep…" He paused. "But if you don't want protection, then…"

Just as he was about to vanish the statue, Sarah put up her hands to stop him and yelled, "Wait!"

Jareth smirked, but he waited, just as she had commanded.

"How does it work?" Sarah asked hesitantly.

His smile just widened into a grin. "Well, you know. Whenever an intruder is in your room, magical powder shoots out in all directions, blinding the trespasser and knocking him to the floor unconscious."

Sarah looked at him skeptically, not believing a word that he was saying; not even in this land of make-believe. "I want the truth, Jareth."

He sighed. "Oh, fine. The statue _does_ sense intruders; I wasn't lying about that. And whenever it does, it comes to life and acts just like I do. Since I am the king of this realm, the all-powerful ruler and all that, whoever enters in here against your or my will, will definitely leave. No one is fool enough to try and take what is mine, or intrude on my guest's privacy. Therefore, this statue is told to say that you belong to me and that no one is to touch you or your things, or else they'll report to me. The _real_ me."

Sarah stayed silent. She walked closer to the statue and observed it once more, looking it over. She supposed that it was convenient and a good idea… but it was still creepy. It felt like it was the real King and not a statue. She just wasn't sure if she would want him around her all the time. Plus, what if he had some sort of spying magick placed within it and could watch her every move in here? Sarah still wasn't sure if she trusted this Goblin King. What had he ever done for her? Only steal away her little brother and make her run through a giant maze where he tricked her and her friends. But he had given her time and she did get her brother back… but not for very long, only until the accident. But that wasn't Jareth's fault. In the Labyrinth, Sarah had wanted to be scared, and Jareth was the villain; she wished away her brother, and he took him. Perhaps there was more to Jareth than she had thought. Was he possibly trying to be _nice_? Or was he using another one of his tricks?

But at last, after all her debating, Sarah finally gave in to him, only because it would be useful to have protection against God-knows-what in this place.

"Fine," she said as she still faced the statue. "It can stay. But no tricks, Jareth. And I mean it." She paused, thinking about what he had said earlier. "And I am not yours."

He shrugged. "Not yet. But, saying so will just keep you safe; for now."

As he was about to leave the room, he added one more thing. "I will call for you in two hours for breakfast, Sarah. You must be starving by now."

He watched as Sarah only nodded dumbly as she observed her room in depth, and then he turned away, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

When he had left, Sarah noticed another door in the wall to the far left. Suddenly Sarah had the feeling that she needed to freshen up a bit and prayed that the door led to a bathroom. Once she opened the door, however, all of her expectations were exceeded.

The room was a bathroom, yes, and a _huge_ bathroom at that. There was a giant, silver bath carved into the middle, the water just nearly rising to the top of the floor. In the bath, the water looked clear as the sky, and there was also a sparkling, sizzling spring set near the back. The water produced steam, which was all over the ground, covering it in a two-inch layer. There were also sinks and cupboards filled with scented shampoos and soaps that Sarah couldn't wait to try. There was strawberry, vanilla, lavender, ginger, magick, pixie dust, and many, many others. The mixture of the aromas sent out a magical scent that made it hard for Sarah to even describe because it was so magnificent- it was like heaven, to say the least. But before she could do anything, she noticed a mirror on the side of the wall, showing her reflection. It was somewhat of an imposing feature, and she wasn't sure if she felt comfortable with it right there. For a moment, Sarah thought about covering it up with a sheet, but then she thought herself to be quite foolish for being afraid of a silly mirror.

Shaking her head, Sarah went over to the cupboards and picked out lavender and vanilla scented matching shampoo and soap. Along with those, she also grabbed some vanilla colored towels and washcloths. Seeing all of her newly found items and the hot bath that awaited her, Sarah was now quite excited about treating herself with these wonderful pleasures.

Carefully stripping off her clothes and placing them carefully on the edge of the bath, Sarah hopped into the water and gently relaxed her back on the edge. The water felt warm and soothing, and she could feel it cleansing her body and washing away all the impurities.

Grabbing the shampoo, she squirted some into her palm and relished in the refreshing scent before she lathered it into her black, wet hair. Then she used the soap and washcloth to clean the rest of her body before she rinsed off.

After she felt fully clean and replenished, she continued to soak in the bath, never wanting to leave its warmth. She slowly closed her eyes, just listening to the soft 'pop' of the water bubbles and the flow of the water around her. It was extremely soothing to Sarah to just be able to relax, since she had to face Jareth for the past… how long had it been? Sarah wasn't sure how long it had been since she had been sleeping in her bed and then wound up here in the Goblin King's bath, but it sure felt like forever.

She could feel her eyes beginning to get heavy, and she let them slowly droop until she fell into a light doze.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

She awoke some time later to the sound of knocking on the door -- her bedroom door. Sarah cursed under her breath as she realized that she was still in the bath, not dressed, her hair soaked, and not presentable at all. Quickly she jumped out of the bath and grabbed her towel, wrapping it securely around her body. Grabbing her shampoo, soap, and other clothes, she put everything back into its rightful place and then went into her bedroom.

The knocking persisted impatiently.

"Just a minute!" she yelled, trying to buy as much time as she could. She knew that Jareth would probably be angry with her for being so late, and she was slightly frightened to face him. It was now eleven in the morning, and what time had she gone into the bath at? 8? 9? She wasn't sure. But she did know that she was late, _very late_.

The knocking became a demanding pounding, echoing throughout the room.

At this, Sarah got very irritated. Couldn't he wait for just a minute? What was the rush? "I said just a minute!" she yelled again as she walked over to the door, fully dressed in the provided black knee-length skirt and the low-cut silk purple top. But her hair was still soaked, clinging to her face and her clothes, getting little wet drops all along her back.

When she opened up the door, however, she was thoroughly surprised to not see Jareth standing there. Instead, it was what appeared to be a midget… a _yellow_ midget, that is. The look on her face must have caught the man off guard, for he began with a rude, "What? Have you never seen a midget before?"

Immediately, Sarah smiled politely, apologizing for her behavior. "Forgive me, sir. I was just expecting the King. You surprised me, that's all."

The little man grunted. "Well, the Highness requests your presence immediately. He has been asking for you for the past forty-five minutes, but you would not answer. However, when I told his Majesty this, he told me to not disturb you and to not enter into your room without permission." A pause. "But when you still would not answer, he became angry with me and yelled at me for my 'incompetence' and demanded that I would have you sitting in front of him in five minutes, or else he would have my head!"

Sarah's jaw dropped. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed. "I'm so sorry for the trouble that I have caused you. Here, let me just do my hair – "

But before she could go do her hair, the man grabbed her by the arm and forced her out of the room and down the stairs. "No time for anything else, Miss. He wants you there **now**."

And so Sarah could object no further as the man dragged her through the castle and out to the gardens, where Jareth was sitting at a little table for two, prepared with the finest breakfast entrees. He was dressed in a crisp white shirt, which opened up just a little in the front, and fitted black leather pants. His hair was tied in the back with stray wisps dancing in front of his face. When he saw Sarah, he looked at her with disapproval. He waved off the servant and then gestured for Sarah to take a seat.

Jareth looked at her, demanding an answer without any words. He looked her over and noted her wet hair. He nodded to himself. He had suspected that she would go into the Bath, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it now that she had. It was not off limits, or anything, just sometimes, certain magicks came about that were not friendly, but just rather pesky annoyances. They liked to play tricks on other creatures, especially ones that they did not know. The correct term for these magicks - or rather just what Jareth liked to call them – were pixies. They were not actual pixies, per se, but they were magicks that liked to embody the shape of pixies. Mischievous little brats they were. But, she looked unharmed enough, so he supposed that everything was just fine.

He clasped his hands together as he placed his elbows on the table. "Sarah, Sarah, Sarah. Running late today, aren't we?"

Sarah blushed slightly and looked down at her hands. "I… I guess I fell asleep."

"You _guess_ you fell asleep?" he mocked. "Shouldn't you know when you fell asleep and when you didn't?"

Sarah's eyes narrowed. _Just who does he think he is_? "That's not what I meant, and you know it."

He shrugged. "Shall we eat?"

Sarah nodded. As much as she hated to admit it, she was ravenous and this food looked positively delicious. Everything that she wanted, could possibly have wanted, was on the table: pancakes, waffles, crêpes, croissants, orange juice, apple juice… everything.

Looking over the food with hunger, Sarah began piling up her plate with assorted treats. When she finally finished, her plate was fully stacked with enough food to feed an army. Jareth looked on at her plate with real amusement, honestly wondering if she would eat it all. All of the women that he had previously dined with usually only grabbed a thing or two. _But, of course_, he chided himself. _Sarah is not like the other women._

Sarah noted his staring and wondered what in the world he was so amused by. Then she looked down at her plate and felt a slight blush rise in her cheeks. She _had_ grabbed a mighty portion of food in her haste for fulfillment. Still, she felt uncomfortable when he stared at her like that, like he was seeing something that she couldn't, like he was in on some sort of secret. It made her squirm in her seat, thinking that she could avoid his gaze.

"Um…" she started, shifting her gaze. "Is there… something that I should know?"

Jareth smiled. "Oh, no, just enjoying the picture of your conspicuous appetite."

Sarah narrowed her eyes. "What? Can a girl not eat?"

"A _girl_ can, no question," he replied mischievously. "But a _woman,_ must be polite and know when enough is enough."

"Well excuse me if I do not live up to your _womens'_ examples."

Jareth's eyes flashed. "If any woman wants to marry one day, then they must know their place," he said coldly.

Sarah became silent, not knowing what she should say. She did understand why some women must have exceptional manners, but where she came from, eating to fulfillment was normal, if not encouraged. Why was it so different here?

"Why are women expected to be so refined?" she asked hesitantly.

"A man cannot have his wife embarrassing him in public, with manners that you are displaying. It is the wife's job to act accordingly. But, of course, not everyone gets married, so I suppose that not every woman must show these manners. If they want to settle down, however, then politeness is a must."

"But why doesn't everyone just get married?" Sarah wondered, still confused.

"Most Fae nobles do not get married. Most do not believe in love, so there is no purpose. In order to please themselves, they usually get a mistress, if they do not marry, that is."

"They don't believe in love?" Sarah responded.

Jareth nodded. "Some of the Fae do not view their love as love, just lust."

"Wait a minute…" Sarah questioned, light dawning in her eyes. "You're a Fae?"

Jareth fought back laughter. "What, you thought I was a goblin?"

"Well, no," she said defiantly. "I just didn't know what you were."

"Now you know."

"So back to the subject," she continued. "Are you going to marry one day?"

"Only kings marry for a queen and an heir. Because they want to be sure that the king is the father of the child, and that he is not a bastard child, they do not sleep around," he answered simply.

"So are you personally looking for a queen?"

Jareth smiled devilishly. "I have found my queen."

Sarah nearly choked on her food at his last statement. Was he talking about her? She was astonished that he would come out and say it so straightforwardly. He had not even asked her to marry him yet, so how did he expect her to be his queen?

Jareth, all the while, stared at her with great amusement. From the way she had responded, he knew that she thought that he was talking about her. He smiled at the thought of her reaction upon learning that she was not to be queen, but somebody else.

"It's not you," he said simply, an evil grin on his face.

Sarah frowned as she tried to take in what he just said. "What?"

"You are not to be my queen," he repeated.

"If not me," Sarah considered, "then who?"

"I have found a princess from the Middle Kingdom."

Sarah was a bit taken aback. She had many questions to ask about this new woman, but she didn't want to seem too jealous. "Do you… want to marry her?" she asked questioningly.

"No," Jareth answered promptly. "But she pleasures me."

"Wouldn't you rather marry someone you wanted to? Not just someone for pleasure?"

Jareth shrugged. "We get along, that is all that matters."

"If she died, would you care?" Sarah wondered aloud. She really wanted to ask, _if I died would you care_? But she knew that it would be irrelevant. He was not to marry her, he had no feelings for her, and she was even beginning to wonder why he brought her here. If he was just to marry someone else, then what was the point in dragging her down here at all?

She stared at Jareth, waiting for an answer. It took him awhile to respond. It appeared to Sarah that he was actually _considering_ his answer; but Sarah was not too surprised by this.

When he finally replied, Sarah got the answer she had expected. "In this land, Fae do not marry for love as you mortals do. Our life will be prosperous. We will make many offspring, our kingdoms will combine, and our fortunes will become greater. That is, after all, what matters most. If she did happen to die one day, which you must remember is very unlikely, then I would feel indifferent about that particular situation."

Suddenly, Sarah felt the urge to laugh. She knew it wasn't polite, or correct in this kind of situation, but when she did begin to laugh, she couldn't control it. Jareth looked at her incredulously, his eyes becoming tiny slits as he glared at her.

"I daresay I don't see what is so funny about all of this," he said through clenched teeth.

Sarah attempted to stifle her laughter, trying to hold it in by closing her mouth. But she couldn't help it, and she once more burst out into laughter. "I…I'm sorry," she managed to say in between giggles. "It's just that… you're marrying a girl who… if you woke up one morning and found her dead… you wouldn't even care!"

"And what is so hilarious about that?" asked Jareth again, failing to see the humor in the situation.

At last, Sarah managed to control her laughter. She sighed as she once again tried to explain herself. "I apologize, Jareth, I really do," she started. "But I just don't see why you would sign the rest of your life away to some girl who you don't even care about."

"It would bring peace to our two kingdoms."

"Are you two at war or something?" Sarah asked as she took a bite of her croissant.

Jareth thought for a moment before he answered. "Not exactly. You see… the royal family of the Middle Kingdom did not produce a son for an heir. Therefore, they have no one to take over the throne. If the king dies, as the queen already has, then the whole kingdom will break out into riots over who should rule. In order to quiet them and prevent this from happening, they needed their only daughter to find a husband. Since we are right next to each other, in a way, they decided, why not? And I agreed so that their problems would not leak into my realm. Plus, I become king of two realms, thus –"

"Giving you more power," Sarah finished dully.

Jareth produced a half smile. "Precisely."

"And… when is the wedding?"

"Three days from now."

Sarah nodded slowly. She didn't know what to say; honestly, she had no clue. The one man who she, as much as she hated to admit, had a few feelings for, was marrying another woman. _It's not like I love him, or anything_, she thought sourly. _But just to know that he belongs to someone else is disheartening. Now I really am alone down here…_

She sighed. What was she going to do now? Jareth would probably completely ignore her once he got married, and she would never see him again. She would be kicked out of the castle and probably forced to live in the Bog, in a tiny shack, half filled with some sort of slimy stench. Suddenly, Sarah was beginning to feel deeply depressed. Now she knew that she would never find love, since she could never return to her world, and Jareth, the only human-looking creature, was getting married. It was secured: she would be alone forever. _Great. Just peachy_.

Sarah lost all of her appetite and she pushed the plate of food away from her. Then she scooted the chair back, rose to her feet, and then turned and walked away from the table, without even saying a word to Jareth, who just sat there, wondering what she was thinking.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o00o0o

The king sat in his chair as he watched Sarah get up from her seat and walk away, without so much as a word to him. For a moment, he almost felt bad, pity, even, but he knew that what he was doing could not be helped. This had to be done, no matter if he wanted to or not. These events were already set in motion and no one, not even Sarah, could stop them now.

He sighed as he rubbed his temples. What was he doing? He knew nothing about love, or if it really existed. Was he doing the right thing? Marrying? The princess was his way to true power and she was a pleasant girl, no doubt about it, but did he really want to marry her?

For the Fae, marriage was a very serious thing, and once they said their vows, they could not be broken; there was no way to turn on them. Once married, he could not be unfaithful; even if he wanted to, he couldn't. Yes, he could divorce, he supposed, but then some of his powers would be left with his bride; he would lose an important part of himself that he did not want to part with.

This was turning out to be a very difficult situation indeed.

It was true that he had growing affections towards Sarah, although he would undoubtedly never reveal that to anyone, but she was mortal. In this world, having ties to a mortal could never lead to anything good, if they failed. He would never let himself fall for this mortal girl, and besides, even if he did one day happen to do so, he would be married. Therefore, the girl would be out of the picture… or so he hoped.

Ever since she walked into the underground as a fifteen-year-old girl, he had felt compelled to her. No one in history had ever conquered the Labyrinth, let alone solved it so… productively. This girl was special. That was very clear to him.

Back then, the Labyrinth was an undefeatable place, and its Goblin King just as much so. But then this girl came and everything changed. She made this world topple, and he was fascinated with her for that. The air about Sarah demanded power, but not in the normal, usual way. Her stubbornness and imagination were so great, that she was morphing from the area of regular human behaviors, not seeming to be a mortal at all, even though she was; she was so fascinating! Besides, she had more than just those amusing purposes… she also held a power within her that no one even knew about; not even her.

After she had left the castle in ruins, he attempted to forget all about her. She destroyed his heritage, which was not something you want to be reminded of. And for a while, he was successful and continued on with his daily routines as if Sarah Williams had never existed. But ultimately, he was not successful. He began looking more and more into the mortal's life, and he found that she was indeed special. His fascination with her grew even more, until it became an unhealthy obsession.

Now she was back, just as he had hoped. He had dreamed about the day that she would come into this world, and now that she finally was, perhaps all could go according to plan. That is, if certain people would only cooperate.

**_A/N:_** _Yeehaw! Another update! Aren't I so cool? Anyway, do not complain about the loss of Jareth's love for Sarah… all is not as it seems… o0_

_So stay tuned for more excitement! I believe the next chapter, or the next, will reveal some big ol' secrets! But then raise more questions too… _

_So any questions, comments, concerns? Hit the little button in the corner and tell me all your wildest fantasies… Not really, I do not want to know what your sick little minds want. Lol. But you can hit that little button! Go on… I know you want to!_

_Love and peace, with a little evil here and there for good fun,_

_E. Ll_


	4. No, the world is neither fair nor unfair

_**Disclaimer**: Labyrinth and all its parts belong to Jim Henson, yada yada yada. You know the drill. This is for fun. Nothing more._

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_**Labyrinth: The Dream Never Ends**_

_By: Eriksleadinglady_

**-**

**-**

**-**

**-**

**-**

**-**

**Chapter 3: No, the world is neither fair nor unfair**

Sarah walked quickly into the castle, wanting to get away from Jareth and what was happening. Never, in all her dreams, had she envisioned _this_ happening – Jareth's marriage to another woman. She had always thought that Jareth had only eyes for her, as childish as that may sound. Even when she was fifteen, it appeared as though she was the center of Jareth's universe, his obsession. It seemed as though she was the only thing that he occupied himself with. Then later, however, Sarah matured and learned that that was just part of the game. That was what the Labyrinth was all about, trying to make one forget their purpose and fall for their dreams, which for Sarah was Jareth.

Sarah blushed as she continued to walk onwards. Yes, if her dreams had been granted, that would have made for an interesting show of affection. She cried out in frustration. Why did nothing ever work out for her? Why did the world seem to be turning against her?

She knew that it was foolish to think of such things, but sometimes she just felt so lost. Along the pathway of her life, it seemed that everything she ever cared about would leave her. Often, she would wonder why no one ever stayed – why friends and family all abandoned her – and this caused her to think that there was possibly something wrong with her.

As she turned another corner in the vast castle, Sarah realized that she had no idea where she was going. Nothing around here looked familiar. Just as she was about to turn around to go back, she noticed that instead of a hallway behind her, there was a wall. She frowned in dismay. Hadn't she come from that direction? She was sure that that was the way that she had come from, for she had not moved an inch from when she first stepped inside. Panic began to set in as it dawned on her that she was lost in a large, foreign castle, where there was nobody that would help her to get back into her bedroom. Even though Sarah knew that if she called, Jareth would come, she did not want him to know that she had gotten lost already. So, with her resolve set in place, she began taking slow steps into the unknown passageway. It was pitch black in the back of the hallway, and there was only a tiny light when she looked down at her feet.

After taking just a couple of steps, she came upon a door – actually, two doors – on the right side of the wall. They were placed right next to one another, one red, one blue, and each had a large, round doorknocker. She remembered something like this from the last time she in the Labyrinth, with the four guards, but she doubted that it would work in the same way since there wasn't a soul in sight.

Tentatively she whispered, "Hello?"

When no answer came, she knew that choosing which door to open would be very difficult. Sarah also knew that it was possible to just continue down the tunnel, but when she looked that way, it only appeared to be getting darker and darker. It didn't look appealing, so she resolved to just open one of the doors in front of her.

Placing her ear against the first door, Sarah listened for any sign of what may lay ahead. She heard the chirping of birds. That didn't sound too bad. Then Sarah placed her ear against the second door, where she heard nothing, complete and utter silence.

She sighed. The silence was rather disturbing, but it could be that way because it was just another hallway. The birds sounded nice enough, but what if they turned out to be monstrous and attacked her upon entering?

"Well," she muttered under her breath. "Which to choose: the deadly silence or the chirping of birds?"

Hesitantly, she raised her hand to the doorknocker and pounded it loudly on the door. Immediately the door flung open, and she stepped inside. Behind her, she heard the door click shut. She paid no mind to that, however, for in front of her was a large, hideous creature, covered in a dark gray mass of wiry fur. Its face was wrinkled up, like that of a bulldog, and its expression was not pleased, with the eyes squinting, and the line of mouth turned down in a frown. It stared at her like it could see right into her soul.

Sarah, on the other hand, was confused. Hadn't she heard chirping from the other side of the door? Was this _thing_ making those noises?

The creature opened its mouth to speak. "Who dares disturb my sanctuary?" its voice boomed.

Sarah was silent for a moment, not sure of what to say. "Uh…" she stuttered out. "Sarah?"

The creature cocked its head to the side. "Sarah? The king's Sarah?" he questioned.

"Y-You've heard of me?" she asked uncertainly.

The creature chuckled, causing Sarah's chest to vibrate silently from the low, loud tone. "Why yes, I do believe most people in the Labyrinth have heard of you. 'The Mortal Woman Who Defeated the Goblin King.' Yes, quite a title for one so young."

"Are you saying that down here, I'm famous?"

"I would say that, yes," he responded.

"If you don't mind me asking," Sarah began, "but what is your name?"

"Those who know me call me Indextrous."

"Indextrous…" Sarah repeated slowly. "Could I call you Dex?"

Indextrous pondered for a moment. "You may call me whatever you please."

Sarah smiled. "All right then. I like Dex." She paused. "Dex… do you think that you could direct me back to my bedroom? I seem to have gotten lost."

"Ah, so that is the reason that you have come here," Dex replied knowingly, nodding his head. "But sadly, I do not know where His Majesty has placed you. I could, however, tell you where His Majesty's room is, or the throne room, if you prefer."

Sarah's face brightened. "Yes, the Throne room! I know where to go from there!"

Dex nodded. "Well, you will need to go through this wall outside of the room, and then take a left, left, right…"

"Wait!" Sarah called, holding up her hands.

He frowned. "Is something the matter?"

"No. Yes! I mean… I just don't think that I can remember all of that."

"Hmm… That is a problem."

"Do you… Do you think that you could show me the way?" she asked hopefully.

"I am not sure that His Majesty would allow that I leave here," Dex replied shortly. "But perhaps if I say that you forced me to do it…"

"Oh please? Please would you show me the way?"

Dex sighed. "All right. I will help you on your quest."

"Thank you so much, Dex. I really appreciate it," said Sarah as she led him from the room.

As they shuffled along outside in the hallway, Dex said, "Ah, I have not been out of here in so long…"

"How long have you been in there?" Sarah asked as they turned a corner.

"Oh," Dex paused to count the years. "A couple centuries or so."

"A couple centuries!" exclaimed Sarah as they continued walking down the hallway, a painting of a Goblin Knight catching her eye for a moment. "Now why would you be put in there for so long?"

As Dex led the way to the throne room, he said, "I just got into some trouble with the King."

"So he had you put away for punishment?"

"Not exactly punishment, but for protection." Sarah was about to say something, but Dex stopped her. "Perhaps you should let me finish my story before you jump to any conclusions. And just follow me, I'll show you to your room."

"You see it all began when I was just a tiny little thing. I lived here in His castle, for both of my parents had been killed by a couple of miscreants. His Majesty took pity on me and let me live here. I never really fit in anywhere, and I suppose that the castle was no exception. The goblins and I never got along; they always hated me for receiving the Kings mercy. They were forced to live and work in Goblin City, while I had the luxury of living in the castle by my own will. There were guidelines, of course, but I could do as I pleased for the most part. The goblins were always jealous of this and decided to plan to get some sort of revenge."

After taking another turn in the castle, Sarah stopped to look at a statue of a woman with a babe in her arms. It was made out of white stone, like that of the Jareth statue in her bedroom. The woman was nude, but her long, wavy hair flowed down over her shoulder, covering her breast, and the babe had a hold of the other. The woman appeared to be sitting on a large boulder with a quaint smile on her face.

The beautiful sculpture brought a smile to Sarah's face, and she wondered who the woman was. Just as she turned to ask Dex about it, she realized that he was no longer behind her. Eyes widening in shock, Sarah hurried in the direction she had just seen him in and was relieved to see him just down the hallway. Moving quickly, she easily caught up to him and heard him still talking.

"…a couple of flower fairies were causing trouble – you know how pesky they can be. As I was spraying them away, I heard a crash from behind me. I looked around and I saw that a goblin had fallen out of one of the castle's windows. I recognized the goblin to be that of my only friend, Huyo. I immediately ran over to him to see if he was all right, but he never responded. I… I knew that he was dead, but I didn't know why. I looked up at the window that he had fallen from, only to see some goblins snickering as they quickly repaired the window. It was then that I knew that they had killed him and that I was being set up for it."

"But why would they kill him?" interjected Sarah.

"They always disliked him because he was nice to me and stood up for me when the others picked on me. He was my only friend, and since all the others hated me, they viewed him as a traitor to their kind."

"How horrible…"

"What did I tell you about waiting until I was finished to say anything?" chided Dex.

Sarah blushed. "Sorry. I'll be quiet now."

Dex nodded. "Now, where was I? Oh yes, I was being set up. As I kneeled by my friend, I heard footsteps coming from behind me. Turning around, I saw that it was the King himself. He looked at me and then to the body and then once again back at me. I tried to explain, but before I could, the other goblins immediately accused me of murdering him. They said that I had choked him to death and that I was a monster that should be punished. At first, the King didn't know what to do. In his eyes I saw pity, and I suppose he did give me some. The other goblins were very persistent, and they eventually got their way. It was basically their word against mine, and since so many of them said that I did kill Huyo, I guess it was a majority decision. That was when He banished me to that room. It is better than having to go to the Oubliette, I suppose, or death. But it gets so lonely…"

"That lousy, no good… jerk!" fumed Sarah. "How could he punish you without so much as a fair trial? What right does he have? Did he even listen to you? And you did nothing wrong! Oh, it's not fair!"

"Nothing ever is, Sarah. And it's fine, really. I have a good life in there, and although I do wish sometimes to see the outside again, I can get whatever I want in there; it is enchanted to give me anything that I desire."

Sarah paused. "Well, I guess that isn't too bad... but still, you should have gotten a trial."

Dex shrugged. "It is as it is, and nothing can change that." He paused as they entered the throne room. "Well, here we are, Sarah."

Sarah looked around the room, joy written all over her face. Then she turned to Dex. "Oh, thank you so much, Dex. I could never have gotten here with out you." She gave him a fierce hug. "I promise that somehow, I'll get you out of there. Promise."

"Now, now, my dear. No need to worry about me. I'll be fine." Just as he was about to leave, he added, "Although, maybe a trip outside every once and a while wouldn't be too bad."

Sarah laughed. "I'll see to it. Thanks, Dex."

"And thanks to you, Sarah," he finished as he left the throne room to go back to his chamber.

Once he was gone, Sarah sighed. "Now," she whispered to herself. "Was it left, left, right? Or left, right, right?" She began to leave the room. "Or was it left," she turned left, "then left," another left, "right," she turned right, "And then," she continued on straight, "two doors down…."

She stopped in front of the second door and stared at it. She beamed, for she did recognize it as being her bedroom doors. Raising her chin high at her accomplishment, she opened up the doors and walked inside, grateful to finally be home – or as close to home as she could get in this place.

Upon entering the room, however, she was face to face with the Goblin King. Sarah's eyes narrowed and she frowned, wondering why he always seemed to sneak up on her whenever he liked. But as Sarah looked at him, she realized that he did not looked taunting, like he usually did, but actually appeared concerned.

Jareth moved way from her slightly, studying her for a moment. He was concerned, that was for sure, but why? Sarah didn't know.

"What's wrong?" she asked, hoping that he would answer truthfully this time, instead of trying to act like he didn't really care.

"Where have you been? You never met me for breakfast, and I began to get worried," he responded immediately.

Sarah frowned. "What do you mean I never met you for breakfast? We ate out in the gardens, remember?"

Jareth didn't respond at first. "We… ate… in the… gardens."

"Yes."

"No," he argued as he shook his head. "No, I never did such a thing."

Now Sarah was just getting annoyed. "Okay, enough already. We sat out in the gardens, we had all this amazing food, and we talked about how you're getting married."

Jareth fought hard to control his laughter. "Married? What on earth would give you that idea?"

Sarah threw up her hands. "You are getting married to some princess!" she nearly screamed. "She's from the Middle Kingdom and you're doing it to avoid war or something! God, what, have you developed a short-term memory or something? I'm surprised you remembered that I was even here!"

"Sarah!" Jareth yelled harshly. "Settle yourself! I am not marrying anybody! I have had my partners, but it was never my intent to marry any of them!"

"Then why lie to me and tell me that you are!"

Jareth snorted in frustration. "I never had that conversation with you, Sarah. We were never in the gardens, we never even spoke today, until just now. If I had been with you, then I would not be so worried right now!"

Sarah stared at him unbelievingly. "But we ate in the gardens, and…"

"Sarah, you were supposed to meet me in the dining room, not my personal garden," he sighed.

"But… but your servant took me to the gardens, and you were sitting there... and…" she continued, unwilling to believe that it had not happened at all.

"What servant?" Jareth asked as he placed his hands on Sarah's shoulders.

Sarah closed her eyes as she tried to remember. "The… the yellow midget guy."

"Gart?" said Jareth as he removed his hands from Sarah. "I told him to take you to the dining room."

"Well, I went to the gardens, where _you_ were sitting."

"Well, I was left to eat alone in the dining room."

Sarah sighed. "Listen, we could argue about this all day. But the only thing that I know was that we ate _together_ in the gardens, and you are marrying some princess, who, as you said, _pleases_ you in many ways and you are going to get lots and lots of power."

Suddenly, realization dawned on Jareth's face, and for a moment, Sarah thought that she saw real amusement in his eyes. Then they darkened, and he became extremely angry, his eyes narrowing and his nostrils flaring. Letting out a yell of frustration, Jareth picked up the nearest breakable vase and threw it against the wall. The action made Sarah jump as she cringed.

"J-Jareth?" she asked shakily.

Jareth clenched and unclenched his hands. "I believe I know the solution for this problem."

Without another word, Jareth disappeared into thin air, leaving a very confused and slightly frightened Sarah behind.

_**A/N:** Well, any guesses as to what happened? Hm? If you guess, you get a visit from Jareth and a cookie! Yum!_

_Hope you likey-ed and thanks for the reviews!_

_Much love,_

_E. Ll_


	5. So some survive and others die

**_Disclaimer:_ **_(Sigh) I wish it were mine, really, I did. Because then I could have Jareth all to myself and no one else could touch him. But, alas, he beloncg to Henson and company… so sad…_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_**Labyrinth: the Dream Never Ends**_

_By: Eriksleadinglady_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

**Chapter 4: So some survive and others die**

As soon as Jareth vanished from sight, he reformed outside, above the castle, in his owl form. He knew what he needed to do, although he hated it. This morning's incident troubled Jareth, and he needed to get some answers. Thus he decided to go to Granatia, where his family lived – or at least what was left of his family. Jareth remembered the day clearly when his mother and sister had passed on…

_A young Jareth walked through the halls of the Granatian castle, looking idly at the paintings on the walls. He had seen them many times before, true, but for some reason, today they all just looked more beautiful. Perhaps that was because today he finally learned how to produce perfect magic crystals. Now, he was on his way to becoming an expert warlock, like his father. _

_All of a sudden, there was a loud bang! of a door being slammed shut. He turned to his left and saw a commotion of people throwing about their hands in grand gestures. Some of them were yelling, something like "… I don't know what happened!" "What do you mean?" "She's just…She's just…" "Gone? Gone? You can't lose her!" "We already have." Then a woman came out of the room and approached who seemed to be the leader. She whispered into his ear and he said, "Two? The second?" A quiet whisper. "No… impossible…" "So young…"_

_Attracted by the commotion, Jareth wandered over to the people. Upon seeing him, the people stopped talking and bowed at their waists. A tall, dangly man stepped forward, cleared his throat, and said, "Why, Lord Jareth. What… What are you doing here? Are you not supposed to be at your lessons?"_

_Jareth flashed him a huge smile and said proudly, "Because I got let out early! Look!" Then Jareth focused really hard, his eyebrows scrunching together, and with a wave of his hand, he created a beautiful, shiny round crystal. Jareth smiled in triumph and held up the crystal so everyone could see it. _

"_Why Lord Jareth!" exclaimed the same, tall man. "That is remarkable! You are well on your way to becoming just like your father!"_

_Jareth hung his head shyly as a little proud smile came to his lips. His twisted his foot, embarrassed by such a compliment. "Thank you."_

_Then, from behind Jareth, footsteps came hurrying up, moving very quickly, and everyone turned to look at who it was. Jareth grinned when he saw his father, King Luandin. "Father!" Jareth cried as he ran toward him, preparing for a hug. But his father only pushed him aside and hurried over to the others._

"_Where is she?" he asked, his eyes enlarged with concern._

_The people were silent for a moment, exchanging glances, all asking 'Who's going to tell him?' At last, a woman stepped forward with long, blonde locks and ruby red lips. "Perhaps you should come inside the room." She looked at Jareth, then back at the king. "It may be too much… to handle."_

_Jareth's father nodded his head and followed everyone else as they went inside the room. Jareth was about to follow, but his father stopped him. "You had best wait out here."_

"_But why? What's happened, father?"_

"_I don't know… I don't know."_

_Then Luandin went inside and closed the door behind him._

_0o0oo00o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0oo0o0o_

_Jareth wasn't sure how long he waited, but it seemed like an eternity. When at last his father came out, Jareth was asleep on the floor. Luandin smiled weakly and went over to pick him up. Gently taking Jareth into his arms, the father whispered, "At least I still have you, son."_

_Luandin looked up when he heard quiet footsteps coming. "What's happened, father?" a young boy asked. _

_Luandin only looked at him. "Your mother and sister are dead. Now, go back to sleep, Jouegh."_

_Then he walked away, leaving a screaming, crying son behind on the floor all alone. Even though he was the twin to Jareth, he was not loved by the same standards as his brother. So he was left to the care of a nurse and was never really looked at twice by his father._

Jareth's mind paused at the memory. It was never really certain as to why his mother had passed on. Some believe that his father had had an affair while others believe that his mother was the one with the affair and had, out of guilt, passed herself on. Jareth, however, refused to believe either story. Such a terrible feat was not possible by either side. Actually, it was impossible. After saying the vows, his parents had eternally bound them to one another, making them unable to ever have an affair. There are rumors, though, that talk of such magicks to overpass the vows, but the power such a spell would use would more than likely kill the user. Jareth knew his parents were powerful, but not that powerful.

His sister, on the other hand, had passed on because of the loss of her mother. It was told to Jareth some days after the death of his mother that his sister had been in the room at the time of the passing on, and, out of grief, passed herself on, as well.

Thinking on such things made Jareth's mind wander to his twin, Jouegh. Jouegh was never much liked by his family, and actually, only his sister ever paid him much mind. They would sometimes play together outside, and Jareth, now looking back on it, realized that his sister was the only one who ever truly cared for Jouegh. A memory struck him for the evidence…

_His sister, Paulina, ran through the house as a tiny boy followed her. The boy was very small, but he still tried to keep up with his older sister. There was a smile on his face as he chased her, and there was one on hers, as well.But the fun ended when Paulina was stopped by her father. All smiles vanished from their faces as he loked at them sternly, arms crossed over his chest._

"_Just what do you think you're doing?" The king demanded of Paulina._

"_We're just playing, father," she replied defiantly. "I see no problem in that."_

_This caused Luandin's face to swell red in anger. "You dare to question me, Paulina? I have told you time and time again to not run around inside this house!"_

_Curious to the noise, Jareth wandered into the room and hid behind a counter as he watched the scene unfold._

"_Well, maybe if you would give him more attention, I would need to play father _and_ sister to him!"_

_This caused Luandin to bring up his fist and smack Paulina across her face, knocking her to the floor on her side. She lay there for a while, too shocked to move. When at last she did, she looked coldly at her father and rose to her feet. Rising to her full height, she looked him straight in the eye and said, "You do not deserve to be king or father of anyone."_

"_I suppose it's fitting then that he is not my son, nor is he your brother." But, once that was said, he immediately took it back, realizing what he had implied._

_Paulina still stared him straight in the eye. "You dare to accuse my mother of adultery?"_

_Luandin looked at his daughter pleadingly. "You know I do not think such things. I said what I did out of anger, nothing more. Please, just forgot I ever said anything."_

"_What's said is said," Paulina said quietly before she turned away and left._

The memory brought a certain emotion to Jareth, but it was so fleeting that he couldn't quite place it. After that conversation he had witnessed, that phrase, "What's said is said," had become one of Jareth's favorites. To him, no sentence was truer. Not only that, but Jareth thought that his sister had handled the entire situation quite well. He thought that perhaps if he, too, were to be so dignified, he would need to have that saying. And it had worked well with Sarah; he never regretted a thing he said now, either.

But not only did that conversation bring Jareth new meaning to life, but also, what Luandin had said had started the rumors that one of them had an affair. The news got out because, in the room at the time, a servant was cleaning a window and had overheard. And, being the gossipers that servants are, news spread quite quickly, perhaps even causing the queen to pass on.

After this conversation also – which it turns out had many effects – his twin had never been the same. Jareth supposed that after seeing ones father beat ones sister and saying that one was a bastard child, that it would change ones being. However, even though the title of bastard was being implied to both himself and Jouegh, Jareth felt as though it did not apply to him. Perhaps this was because he always felt that he was disconnected from Jouegh, even though they were twins. But Jareth never suspected that he was illegitimate. Jouegh, perhaps, but never himself.

This thought came from the fact that Jouegh was nothing like himself. Jareth being regal, charming, acute to a persons feelings, and well poised was nothing like Jouegh: rude, bothersome, uncaring, and aloof. Having these traits caused Jouegh to get into much trouble. _Like his coming of age party_… thought Jareth sourly.

_It was Jouegh's one-thousandth birthday party, which meant that he was now of age and on the market, so to speak. Jareth had his party the week before, not wanting the light to be on more than one of them for the special day. But being at Jouegh's party had left Jareth quite bored, but he was not the only one. _

_Jouegh stood across the room, his back against the wall, stirring a drink absentmindedly. Although he and Jareth – who wore tight gray pants and a white, silk shirt – were nearly identical, Jouegh was easy to tell apart from his brother, since he was dressed in all black – loose slacks, a button up shirt all the way to his neck – and his hair was cute shorter in more of a shaggy style. But it was noted by many that upon occasion, Jouegh's hair would grow to Jareth's style, making them look even more alike. However, Jareth had never seen such a thing._

_Leaving the wall, Jouegh took his drink and went to mingle with the other nobles at the party. But, knowing his brother, Jareth followed him somewhat closely, just to keep an eye on him for any tricks._

_However, just as he had suspected, Jouegh did not keep in line. After mixing himself with some very high nobles – the king and queen of Scotslond – he pretended to be very interested in the conversation and strategically placed himself next to the queen. Jouegh glanced down once, looked up and smiled, and then looked down again. Then in an instant, Jouegh's hand had struck out like a snake and grabbed the queen's breast. She gasped and looked over at Jouegh, horrified. Jouegh immediately fell to the floor in a fit of laughter and had to be dragged to his feet by his father._

_Jouegh was still laughing when Luandin held him firmly by the arm. _

"_My apologies, Queen Amitna," the king said as he bowed. "I do not know what Jouegh was thinking, but you can be sure that he will be rightly punished."_

_The queen pressed her dress as she said, "I hope so."_

_Then an embarrassed Luandin and a still laughing Jouegh left the room and were not heard from for the rest of the night._

Now, as he was flying over the forests of Kilfwood, Jareth knew that his brother had something up his sleeve. Jouegh had pulled many pranks like that on numerous occasions, causing their father much grief and embarrassment. But Jouegh was never sorry for any of the tricks, which got him some good whipping each night. One time, Jouegh's tricks had gone so far (he actually permanently turned a king into a sock) that he was banished from Granatia and sent to live far away.

After this mornings incident of being in "two places at once", Jareth was sure that Jouegh had something to do with it; he was the only one who would have been able to pull that kind of trickery.

Jareth had to go see his father in order to find out what, if anything, his brother was planning. Obviously, it had something to do with Sarah, otherwise, he would never had had lunch with her and lied about the marriage. Perhaps his father, being a seer, would be able to help with that.

At last, Jareth reached the Granatia Kingdom and flew to the doorstep of his father's castle. When he landed, he transformed back into his Fae form and stepped inside. But once he was inside, he wanted to draw back immediately. What once to used to be a bright, tidy, beautiful castle, was now nearly pitch black, with everything torn into shreds. The paintings that used to hang lavishly on the walls were all torn down, with holes for the faces. The rugs were charred and ripped in many places, like a claw had scratched through them. Of the vases and plants that used to be there, all were smashed to the ground, the contents in a splay of dirt, leaves, and flowers. The furniture that used to adorn the palace was tipped over and the fluffy contents were matted across the floor in squished bunches.

Jareth walked slowly inside and instantly heard crunches of glass beneath his boots from broken windows and glasses. His eyes widened in wonder at what could have happened here. His father was getting old, yes, but he was still a very powerful man and not to be taken lightly. Whoever had done this must be very powerful indeed.

Jareth continued walking along the hallway to his father's room, using an illumination spell to light his way. What he saw appalled him, to say the least. Everything that his father owned, everything that he treasured was trashed, thrown everywhere in broken pieces.

He nervously approached his father's bedroom door, which was ajar, and he noticed that there was a faint light inside already. Slowly he walked into the room, slightly afraid of what he might find. When he saw his father, his heart nearly stopped beating in his chest.

His father was thrown across the bed, half naked, staring up at the ceiling. His arms were tied up above his head with rope, and his legs were at an unnatural angle with the lower leg twisted ninety degrees at the knee. His face was in a look of fear – his mouth agape, eyes wide – and he was completely still as death.

Jareth tried to keep his emotions inside as he inched towards his father to untie him from the position. With a swish of his hand, his father was untied and placed peacefully on the bed, like he was in a slumber, with his eyes and mouth closed.

Jareth stood at the end of the bed, his eyes closed and his head hung in mourning. His fists were clenched in rage, and he didn't have to think twice about who had done this atrocity: _Jouegh_.

When Jareth opened up his eyes, they were a deadly red, glowing in the dark. Then he let out an unearthly wail that was heard across the kingdom, and that was when everyone knew that the King of Granatia was dead.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o00o0o0o

Sarah sat on her bed, staring out her window, wondering where Jareth had gone. He had only been gone a couple of hours, and, for a moment, Sarah wondered if he would ever come back at all, or at least within a day. She had seen that look on his face right before he vanished, and it had terrified her like nothing she had ever seen before. If a look could kill, it would have been the one that he had held – the look of death itself. And his voice had been so cold, like ice. Sarah shivered even now just thinking about it. She only hoped that he would be okay.

Rising up from her bed, Sarah walked over to the balcony, stepping outside and into the cool night air. She felt the slight breeze press against her face and began to feel more relaxed. Closing her eyes, she just focused on herself and the breeze, letting it consume her senses. Taking her out of her peace, a voice spoke from behind her.

"Sarah…" it said. The voice sounded so familiar to Sarah, and yet was not so familiar at all.

"Sarah…" it repeated, and at last, Sarah turned around to face it. Just as she had suspected, it was Jareth, dressed formally in a blue suit, adorned with white cuffs and shirt.

Sarah blinked her eyes slowly and looked at him through her lashes. "Oh Jareth…" she said in a slight whisper. "You've returned."

Jareth began taking slow steps towards her, making himself appear large and imposing, with his chest puffed and taking creeping strides. "So I have, Sarah. So I have."

Finally he stood before her on the balcony, his platinum locks blowing in the breeze and lightly hitting Sarah's face.

"I was worried," Sarah said, her breath catching in her throat at how close they were to each other.

He reached out and grabbed a piece of her hair gently, feeling the texture of it, its softness. "I'm fine, my dear. Nothing to worry about."

He leaned in closer to her as though he was going to kiss her, but just as Sarah was about to close her eyes, she reeled away in bewilderment.

"You're… you're not Jareth," she stammered out, her eyes wide with fear.

Jareth cocked his head. "Of course I am. What are you talking about, you silly little girl?" he asked as he took a step towards her. But she only took another step back.

"Stay away from me," she said forcefully.

"Tsk, tsk, Sarah," he said as he approached her with his hand out-struck. "That is no way to treat your king."

Suddenly, panic seemed to seize Sarah as she tried to move her hand, but found she couldn't. She tried to move the rest of her body too, but found that she was stuck stark still in her position, her back pressing lightly against the railing. The only thing that she could do, however, was breath, but even that seemed to come as a pain. She tried to speak, but her voice wouldn't come.

Still with his hand out before him, Jareth sat down playfully on the railing opposite of Sarah and stared at her with narrowing eyes. "You know," he began, becoming more and more annoyed, "no matter how many times I try, no one ever seems to take me for Jareth. Now why is that? Where is the difference between the two?"

He flicked his wrist in Sarah's direction. "Speak," he commanded.

"I..." Sarah tested, and found that she could indeed speak. "The eyes…"

Realization came into his own black and silver eyes, which were very different from Jareth's own blue and green ones. "Ah... so that's it..." He paused. "You know, they do say that character lies in the eyes. And what is that other saying? 'The eyes are the windows to the soul?'" He laughed. "So there's my one flaw I suppose. But, the eyes are the identification cards for oneself, so they cannot be changed."

"Who are you?" Sarah questioned.

Jareth pouted. "He never mentioned me?" Sarah shook her head. "Ah well, I don't see why he would, that pompous bastard. But, to answer your question." He rose to his feet and bowed before her. "I am Jouegh, exiled prince of Granatia, and brother to Jareth."

Sarah seemed taken aback. "_Brother?_" she nearly spat the words.

"What? You don't see the resemblance?"

Sarah stayed silent.

"Oh, come, come now, don't be rude. I asked you a question," he stated harshly. "Now answer!"

Sarah swallowed hard. She didn't like this at all, not one bit. "You two are nearly identical," she finally said at last.

Jouegh nodded. "Twins, yes. Sad isn't it? I have to look like that fruit for the rest of my life." He swooshed his hands over his body, and immediately his outfit changed into a black jacket, black dress shirt, and semi-loose black matching pants. His hair changed from the mullet style to a chin length shaggy style. "At least I have better fashion sense," he offered with a wry smile.

"Get away from her!" they both heard a voice bark from the doorway.

Jouegh turned around immediately, and lost his concentration, letting Sarah move again. In one instant, Sarah ran past Jouegh and got behind Jareth.

A smirk lit Jouegh's face. "Ah, brother, how nice of you to join us."

"Don't call me that," Jareth growled. "You are not my brother."

Jouegh brought a hand to his chest. "Why, _brother_, I am ashamed."

"As well you should be."

Jouegh pushed aside the comment. "No need for the insults, Jareth. I didn't come to argue."

"What do you want?" Jareth asked through clenched teeth.

Jouegh seemed to ponder this for a moment. "The usual. I want claim to your throne. Abdicate it and... Ah, what's that saying? 'No one gets hurt'?" He laughed. "That's the worst saying I've ever heard! How about… Abdicate the throne and I might let you live?" He paused. "No, no, that's not right. Let's see… Abdicate your throne and… well, I was never good at negotiating. Just give me the throne."

"No, I don't think I will," Jareth responded with his chin high.

Jouegh stomped his foot. "Don't be so stubborn! I haven't got all night!"

"I will not give over my throne so easily," replied Jareth calmly as he shrugged off his jacket. "You know I was always a better fighter than you."

Jouegh sighed. "You know, I was hoping for a clean kill, not a fight, Jareth." He removed his jacket as well. "But if you insist, dear brother, I suppose I will just have to kill you in front of her. After all, I am not that same boy that I was all those years ago."

Jareth walked briskly over to Jouegh and stood several feet in front of him. Jouegh looked him over with a smirk on his face. "I just thought that it would interest you to know that when I killed _him_, he screamed like a little girl, begging for mercy like a pussy. He barely put up a fight. I suppose you will be the same, since you will always be daddy's little girl."

Jareth let out a yell of frustration as he produced a crystal in his hand and held it out to Jouegh.

Jouegh dropped his jaw. "Aw, a cute little crystal?" He began to pace. "I don't want your games, Jareth," he said harshly. "I want your magick!" he yelled as he cupped his hands straight out in front of him and shot a line of ice at Jareth. The ice flew forward at the speed of light and when it hit the crystal, Jareth's magick kicked in and a shield of green light surrounded Jareth. Jouegh continued to press on with the ice, but it couldn't get through the shield that Jareth held to so tightly.

"You… can't hold that forever!" yelled Jouegh as his ice began to come out in larger cycles.

"I don't have to!" responded Jareth as he pushed his shield forward with all his might rocking his body to gain more power. This caused the shield to change directions, and, instead of covering to Jareth, it flipped upon itself, imploding into a line of green light. It shot forward at Jouegh and overtook his ice. The light hit Jouegh directly in the chest, sending him to the ground on his back.

Jouegh instantly rose to his feet, pressing out his clothing as he did so. "That was uncalled for, Jareth," he replied calmly as he looked his brother in the eye.

"Leave," commanded Jareth icily.

Jouegh turned his back on Jareth and walked out onto the balcony. Before he left however, he spoke calmly to Jareth from over his shoulder. "Now you've ruined all my fun." Then he turned into a raven and flew out over the castle, disappearing into the night.

Once he was gone, Jareth turned around to face Sarah, who was standing there, her mouth wide with shock. He sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. Turning away from her, he walked over to the balcony and leaned on the rail, his head hanging down in thought.

Behind him, he heard Sarah's footsteps as she placed herself next to him. He knew that she would have many questions, although he did not wish to speak of the answers. _But_, he supposed, _if not now, then when_?

"Twin… brother?" Sarah asked as her first question of bewilderment.

Jareth sighed. "Yes. He was banished, however, as an adolescent and sent to live in the Middle Kingdom. There he only became worse, developing magick unseen by others. Still, I can beat him easily." He gave an uneasy breath.

"What is it?" Sara was worriedly. "There's something that you're not telling me."

He stole a glance at her. "When you are here, do you sense anything… profound?"

Sarah was silent for a moment, pondering this. "There's… a little something in the air, I suppose. I can barely feel it, though." She paused. "What is it?"

"The Labyrinth."

"The Labyrinth is its own being?" she questioned, although she could guess the answer.

Jareth nodded absentmindedly. "It is a very large, powerful entity. It is the center of all magic."

"Your magick?"

"Not just my magick, Sarah, but _all _magicks," he replied sounding completely despaired.

"So this is where all magick comes from? No matter where you're from?"

Jareth nodded. "I am able to use some of its energy because I am its master. There are those, however, who would harness that energy for evil, if they could ever get their hands on it."

"Like your brother…" Sarah added, comprehension finally beginning to set in.

"Exactly like my brother." He took a deep breath. "Every since he was banished, he has wanted something greater, something more profound than anyone could ever imagine. He knew where to get this power, but when he tried, he found out that I was the ruler. He vowed that he would one day over take my throne and take the magical power away from the Labyrinth, suck everything from it like a leech," he spat out.

"He is very dangerous indeed, but when I tried to tell my father just how dangerous he was, he refused to listen. He refused to believe that his own son could ever become such a monster. But now, that betrayal and anger of a son has killed him. And now, he will try to overthrow me."

"But even if he did manage to take the throne from you," Sarah said hesitantly, "would the Labyrinth even allow him to take its magick? I mean, it must have some sort of powerful mind of its own."

"The Labyrinth has a primitive mind, and does not know how to stop someone from misusing its powers. That's why its leader is so carefully chosen. If someone _did _manage to get control, the Labyrinth would not know what to do. Besides, it does not know good from evil, only what its master tells it to do." He paused, thinking. "Truthfully, no one knows the full extent of all the power that the Labyrinth can do. No one has been a witness to the magical abilities of the Labyrinth directly. Only through the Goblin King are some of the powers shown."

Sarah nodded and then became quiet, carefully thinking this over. After hearing what Jareth had just told her, she knew that it was a much larger problem than she had previously presumed. She never knew that the Labyrinth was actually _alive_; she just thought that it was just regular land, like the Americas or Germany. But no, it was actually real and held its own magical power. A power so great even, that everyone's magic came from it. _What if…_

"Jareth…" she asked, the fear causing her voice to shake. "If your brother manages to get power over the Labyrinth and _does_ suck it of its magick, does that mean that everyone else will lose their magical abilities, since it gives them all that power?"

Silently, Jareth nodded.

"Oh my God…" Sarah whispered.

Jareth laughed hollowly. "If Jouegh gets the Labyrinth, he gains the entire world, Underground and Aboveground. _Nothing_ will be able to stop him."

Sarah shook her head. "Surely there is something _somewhere_ that would be able to stop him. I mean, Aboveground, we have weapons. Very, _very_ powerful weapons," she added as an afterthought.

Jareth turned away from the balcony and looked straight at Sarah. "You don't understand!" he yelled. "The Labyrinth is more powerful than anything manmade or magic made! Its power is unfathomable and untouchable! _It can_ _stop manmade objects from even touching it_!"

"But we have atomic bombs and nuclear weapons!" argued Sarah. "Surely…"

Jareth threw his hands up in dismay. "_No!_ When the Labyrinth wants to be unharmed, it stays unharmed! None of your fancy little weapons that you pathetic mortals make will be able to stop it, stop _him_."

Sarah began to walk away, sick of his pessimistic attitude. "Well excuse me for trying to think of a solution! We'll just sit back and do nothing!"

"You know that's not what I meant, Sarah!" he replied as he tried to be reasonable. But sometimes, it was just so hard with this girl… "But there is something much greater at work here, and I need to figure out a way to stop it!"

She stood there, silent for a moment, beginning to feel bad for what she was saying to him. Here he was, his world trying to be taken apart by his own brother, and here _she _was, trying to act like she knew more about the situation than he did.

"I'm sorry Jareth," she finally conceded. "It's just that… it concerns my world too. And there are some things that I'm sure _you _don't know about it. I just thought that... well... maybe something would be able to help."

"You're ideas were not completely off base, I will admit," Jareth responded grudgingly. He'd be damned if he'd ever thank this girl.

"That's a start," Sarah said with a slight smile. "Now, tell me more about you're brother and what he has done thus far…"

0o0o0oo0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The black raven flew high above the towers, going back into his realm, where he held the power. The Middle Kingdom, or what was left of it, was now his palace, his free domain of rule. The land that once used to be lush with greenery was now stone and rotting bone, with an occasional black, rocky volcano filling the surrounding areas with lava. Honestly, Jouegh liked the effect of the volcano; it made his stony castles look more able to rule, more sinister and commanding. The sight of such imposing figures made everyone that passed through know that this place held great power. It was strong and menacing, perfect for an omnipotent ruler who knew what was best for everyone.

That was what he was doing; he was preparing the universe for the ultimate peace. No more silly little wars played by the people, for that was a waste of life. Why waste life when it can be used to further his power and be put to good use? Now, in his new world, everyone would follow him, and his perfect era, as ruler, would begin and last forever.

At last he reached his own private pillaring castle, which was made a black stone and spiraled upward in a cone. In the area around it, his armies were gathering. Armies upon armies of trolls, witches, wizards, orcs, wolverines, vampires, everything dark that had been cast from its own land was here, at his command. There were thousands of them lining the lands, their own little tents and villages filling the barren wasteland.

All of this would be the power that would help him overtake the Labyrinth and take control of its magick. Jareth was unaware of it, and Jouegh would like it to stay that way. A surprise attack would be necessary in order to overthrow his brother. He could not allow him time to gather an army of his own, although, even if he did, it would be nothing compared to his own.

At last the bird swooped in over his armies and landed in his regular form upon the sheer ledge that overlooked his growing army. He raised his hands as he prepared to address them. In order to get their full attention, he shot a line of black fire across the plains and hit the last tree in the area – tall, charred, and broken. It caused a large fire on the tree and everyone looked toward Jouegh, waiting for their king to speak.

"My people," he shouted out over the many heads, "my obedient servants of the night! Hear me now and listen as you prepare yourselves for battle! The time is drawing near when we shall take over all worlds. Soon, we shall abolish all beings who oppose us, and soon we shall harness the greatest power ever known to creatures: the Labyrinth!" Thunderous applause echoed throughout the valleys. "Soon, we will march onto the land of Goblins, and overtake their land, as well as overthrowing their king! We need only to secure one more item, a certain dark-haired beauty," a few cackles resounded throughout the group, "and then we will be ready to take over them all! Prepare yourselves for battle!"

When he finished, all the creatures erupted into cheers and shouts, applauding their fearless leader and King.

Jouegh smirked to himself. _Soon, my brother, I will take over what is yours, and you will watch as your world falls apart right before your very eyes_.

_**A/N**: Omg, this chapter took a long time to write cuz I had to add in those flashbacks, which I initially did not have. _

_So… a twin, huh? It shall be picking up soon because Jareth has a problem on his hands… and a dangerous one at that._

_Please let me know what you think! They're my little pieces of heaven on earth… That and cherry turnover's from Arby's… Mmmm….Thanks!_

_The Wild-eyed boy from free cloud (Who is really a girl),_

_E. Ll_


	6. And you always want a reason why

**_Disclaimer:_ **_You all know the drill… I hope... If you don't, then you are stupid and should be shot. Haha. Just kidding! I don't want any of my readers killed even if they are complete morons! ; ) Labyrinth not mine. _

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_**Labyrinth: the Dream Never Ends**_

_By: Eriksleadinglady_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

**Chapter 5: And you always want a reason why**

Sarah woke up the next morning, the sun shining in her eyes, taking her out of her sleep. She stretched her hands up above her head, sighing contently. The previous night had been informational, at best, having learned about Jouegh and the depth of the issues at hand. It was worrying to know that there was someone out there with that much power trying to gain control. She knew that there were some happenings like that Aboveground, but here, in the Underground, the people had magick and other powers that no one even believed in up top. She wondered what would happen if Jouegh did gain all that power. She cringed at the thought; he really would be unstoppable.

Swinging her feet over the edge of the bed, Sarah got up and walked over to the vanity. Her hair was a piled mess and her clothes were all rumpled. Grabbing a change of clothes, a pair of blue jeans and a plain white tee, she went over the bathroom and got into the luxurious bath like she had the previous day. This time, however, she prepared for herself a nice, warm bubble bath.

After only maybe fifteen minutes, while she was humming, she heard some footsteps behind her.

"Like the bath?" the voice said.

Sarah screamed as she grabbed as many bubbles as she could to cover herself. Luckily, there were enough to suffice. She turned her head around to look at Jareth, who was crouched on the floor, giving her a toothy grin.

"What are you doing in here?" she asked as she felt a blush rise to her cheeks at the way he was looking at her – eyes twinkling brightly and a mischievous grin on his face.

He shrugged. "You didn't answer your door. Naturally, I got worried," he finished with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Humph," she responded as she turned back to her bath and away from him. "Well, since you're in here, would you mind grabbing my towel?"

She heard Jareth rise to his feet behind her. "Certainly."

After he had grabbed the towel, she watched as he walked back over to her and placed the towel on his fingertips, offering it out to her. Sarah reached up to grab it, but found that it was out of her reach, unless, of course, she stood up.

"Jareth," she said harshly, "give me that towel."

He smirked delightedly. "You only have to grab it."

"I can't," she responded through clenched teeth, as she once more tried to reach it, but still couldn't.

"Just a little higher…" Jareth mocked.

As Sarah continued to try and grab at the towel multiple times, she said, "Stop teasing me Jareth! I want that towel!" At last she was successful and she grabbed the towel just as Jareth decided to lower it a bit. With a triumphant look in her face, Sarah delicately rose from the bath, careful to make sure that she instantly covered herself so that Jareth couldn't see anything. Once that was completed, she flashed a smile over at Jareth.

"There. Nothing to see here now."

Jareth bowed before her as he gestured to the door. "My lady."

With the smile still on her face, Sarah gladly headed to the door, her new clothes in hand. Once inside her own room, she stood in a corner as she waited for Jareth to come out. When he never did, however, Sarah went back to the bathroom and peaked her head inside, where she saw Jareth just standing there, looking at the giant mirror.

"Um, Jareth?" she called. Jareth immediately looked over at her, but did not move. "Could you maybe leave the room, so I can change?"

Jareth stared at her a moment before he turned his attention back to the mirror. "I'll just wait in here."

Sarah only rolled her eyes as she went back into her room, closing the bathroom door behind her. "He is _so_ vain…" she whispered under her breath as she began to change clothes. Once she was done, she once more opened up the door to the bathroom and called for Jareth, who in mere moments, appeared before a fully dressed Sarah.

"So what do you want?" Sarah asked at last.

With a twinkle in his eye, he offered his arm out to her. "Care to go for a walk?"

0o0o000oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

They both walked out to the gardens that surrounded the castle. Jareth told her that these were his own personal gardens, and that only a select few were ever allowed in here. He showed her many things: the roses, the vineyards, the statues, and the many other assortments of plants that adorned his garden.

"And this…" Jareth said as they approached a tiny water fountain, "is the Fountain of Youth."

Sarah's eyes widened. "You mean… it actually exists?"

Jareth couldn't help but laugh at her ignorance. "Of course it exists!"

"But why do you have it if you are immortal?" continued Sarah, who was unfazed by the laughter.

"Well we couldn't very well put it Aboveground, now could we? You mortals would abuse the poor thing."

"I suppose that is true…" Sarah responded grudgingly. Then she turned away from the fountain, and looked farther down the hedges, wondering what else was out there. While looking, she saw a glinting in the distance a little ways down. She squinted her eyes as she tried to discern what it was. Slowly, she began to walk towards it, curiosity dragging her to do it like always. She wound her way through many towering hedges, trying to make it to the glinting object.

Jareth followed Sarah through the garden, curious as to what had caught her attention so fully. He too saw the glinting, but couldn't quite remember what it was. There were so many objects in his garden, that he often lost track of which object was where. So he contented himself to just follow Sarah to whatever lay ahead.

Now, as Sarah was still blindly moving through the garden, she thought that she knew what she saw, but was mildly afraid to find it. This situation seemed all too familiar to her, greatly reminding her of the dream that she had had on multiple occasions. She kept going and going, until finally she found the object. When she saw it, her breath caught in her throat.

_There it was_: the tiny little silver and gold tree that had haunted her dreams. Cautiously, she approached it, unsure if it would enlarge and attack her with its limbs. Behind her, Jareth too stared at the tree with mild interest. He _had_ seen it before, but never on this scale, or so close.

Once Sarah was about a foot away from the tree, she turned around to Jareth. "What is it?" she asked, her voice anxious.

Jareth shook his head. "I can't say. I have seen it before, but never at this size."

"Is it regularly extremely large?" she wondered, although she guessed that she knew the answer.

He nodded.

Sarah closed her eyes; her worst fears had been realized. She turned back around, and knelt down next to the tree. Reaching her hand out, she touched the tree ever so slightly, just like in her dream; but this time, it was not hot at all, just a regular, room temperature.

"Funny," she whispered to herself. "It is usually so hot…"

"You have seen this before?" Jareth questioned, which caused Sarah to jump, for she had nearly forgotten that he was there.

"Y-Yes."

"But how?"

"In my dreams…" she replied as she still stared at the silver and gold item.

"Your dreams?" repeated Jareth, his voice commanding her that she tell him all about it.

Sarah nodded. "Yes, in my dream, I am searching for something. I see a glinting the distance, just like I did now, and then I run towards it. I find this tree, and when I touch it, it is burning hot. Then, the ground rumbles and the sky turns red. All the while, the tree enlarges into an enormous size and a face forms in the front. Then it attacks me and I can't escape… That's where I wake up."

Jareth's eyes narrowed, thinking about what this could possibly mean. What she described as the large tree, minus the face, was exactly what was in the middle of the forest, here in the Labyrinth. It was a giant silver and gold tree. Of course, Jareth knew what this was, nearly everyone did, but what _this _meant, this tiny little tree before him now, he had no clue. And Sarah's dream? That troubled him even more.

He knew that in order to get to the bottom of this, he would need to visit his library, or maybe even possibly an old friend.

"Sarah," he said. "I think it best that we go back to my castle now."

He watched as Sarah rose to her feet, never taking her eyes off the tree. She stood there for a little longer before she turned around and faced him. "Alright, let's go."

The walk back to the castle was taken in near silence, both of them thinking about what they had just seen. Sarah was distraught, but at the same time, curious as to why the tree was actually real. She had always just dismissed it as a silly dream concocted from her time spent here in the Labyrinth. The Labyrinth never really scared her, at least not like the tree had. The Labyrinth intrigued her and challenged her, but she never really viewed it as a harmful being. The tree, on the other hand, she viewed as a very dangerous thing to mess with. Even in her dream, when the tree scratched at her, she felt as though she could actually _feel_ the pain as she would in real life.

When they finally got back into the castle, Sarah was dismissed to go back into her bedroom. At first, she had objected, saying that she wanted to know what he was going to do, but he refused to tell her and sent her to her bedroom, where he locked her in. After being locked in, Sarah had banged on the door, demanding to be let out this instant, but she heard no replies on the other side. Finally submitting to her situation, Sarah went over to the bed and slumped down in it wondering what the Goblin King had gone off to do.

0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0000o0o00o0o0o

Once Jareth had locked Sarah in her room (which he did so that she would stay out of his way; he needed to think), he had vanished into thin air and then reappeared in his library. These libraries were his own personal ones, which he had used on multiple occasions. Now, he needed them in order to sort out this issue with Sarah.

Never before had the Labyrinth contacted someone in such a personal way. The tree in her dream, at least the enlarged one, was _the Labyrinth_. It was here, in the center of the forest, as that same tree, which was the area of all magical power. This was what had worried Jareth. The Labyrinth tree never entered anyone's dreams before; actually, it had never even associated itself with anyone. Jareth could guess that it had tried to contact Sarah, although it seemed as though it was attacking her. Since the Labyrinth had a primitive mind, it could not understand how to correctly talk with someone. So it had resorted back to its instincts and came at her as though it were attacking. At least, this is what Jareth assumed had happened.

In the library, Jareth pulled out a book about the ancient magicks and the Labyrinth, skimming through it to find the answers. He opened up the page to _the History of the Labyrinth._

"_The Labyrinth is an age old creature, whose magical power surpasses all. It is unsure as to when the Labyrinth came about, but it is certain that it was even before time, before all magic…"_

Jareth turned to the next page. He didn't care about when the Labyrinth first came; he only wanted to know about contacts and run-ins with the Labyrinth. And if he were lucky, he would find information about dreams or prophesies.

"_The source of the magical power of the Labyrinth is the giant silver and gold tree, shown on the left. This tree is the center of the Labyrinth magi, and is viewed to be its 'mind', in a sense. It is unknown whether or not the tree can interact with others; no cases have been reported._

"_There is, however, a prophecy about what will happen when the Labyrinth does interact with another. This prophecy has the Labyrinth interacting with a human, so in many cases, the prophecy has been disregarded and discontinued in many books."_

Jareth slammed the book shut. How could it mention the myth and then not even say what it was? His anger was growing by the second, and if he did not find that myth soon, he pitied the goblin that ran in to him next. Shoving the book back into its place, Jareth pulled out another book, which might actually explain the myth, titled _Myths and Other Human Tales._ Jareth turned to the pages headlined "Labyrinthine Tales."

"_The Labyrinth is a giant mythical place, where faeries and other creatures reside. Its ruler is known as the Goblin King, who is fabled to take little children who are wished away and turn them into goblins. The person who wished away the child is given the opportunity to run the Labyrinth and make it to the Goblin King's castle. None, however, have ever completed the maze._

"_There is a prophecy, though, that talks about the first human defeating the Labyrinth. Or rather the first human the Labyrinth helps him or her to the castle. This is that prophecy:_

"_The Labyrinth is an enormous entity the holds all magical power, and is ruled by a goblin King. When a child is wished away, they are taken here, where their 'special someone' is given the chance to save them. No one has ever completed this, except for one: a human girl. It is said that this girl who defeats the Labyrinth will be a certain link for power. What this power is, is unknown. But, it is said that she will be given aid, as well as access to unfathomable power. The only information about this power is this riddle:_

_Through the body, the whispers come_

_It travels through the dying one_

_Defeating it once, becoming it twice_

_The mortal will be the device_

"_That is all that is known."_

It was then that Jareth knew that Sarah was this 'mortal'. However, he also knew that this would cause great trouble, as well as placing Sarah in deep danger. But what worried Jareth the most was that the riddle made no sense, and that even _he_ did not know what he should do. What was the Labyrinth trying to accomplish?

After he placed the book away, he vanished into thin air and then reappeared in Sarah bedroom, where she was sitting on the bed, looking angry and rather bored.

When Sarah saw him, her eyes glared as she stood up and placed a rough finger on his chest. "You!" she said coldly as she shoved him with that one finger.

"Me…" Jareth said confusedly. Just where was this going?

"You locked me in here!" accused Sarah harshly.

"This is my castle, Sarah, and I may do whatever I please," he replied calmly.

Sarah huffed. "Well your hospitality needs some work! You can't just shove a guest into a room and leave her in there to wonder what's going on!"

Jareth thought about this for a moment, and then replied irritably, "I do believe I can, but if it troubles you so much, then I shall try to not do it again."

For a moment, Sarah was shocked into silence. She never expected the Goblin King to agree with her so quickly. To be frank, she expected a good argument, with yelling and shouting, but she never expected him to just… say that he wouldn't do it anymore. Pressing down her dress, she nodded her head curtly.

"Well," she said as calmly as she could. "I am glad that we got that settled." She walked back over to the bed and sat down. "But now, I would like to know where you went."

Jareth looked at her for a moment, with a faraway look in his eyes. Then he finally answered, "The library."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "Just to know what I'm dealing with."

"And what are you dealing with?"

"Just an ancient myth," he answered simply. "But I would rather not get into that right now. However, it seems to me that you have some questions pertaining to a certain brother of mine, and I shall let you ask those."

Sarah seemed a bit shocked at first that he knew what she was thinking, but once that wore off, she thought about what she wanted to ask. Before, while Jareth was away, she had many questions running through her mind. Right now, though, she forgot every single one.

"So?" asked Jareth, tearing her out of her thoughts.

She closed her eyes and thought long and hard. Then a question struck her. "The first time I was in the Labyrinth," she asked carefully, "which one of you did I deal with?"

Realization dawned in Jareth's eyes at the question he was being asked. "Ah yes, you want to know which one of us you were dealing with on the multiple occasions that we had run-ins." She nodded. "Well, I can say with perfect honesty that it was me every time, except for the breakfast." He frowned considerably. "That was my miserable twit of a brother."

Even though she had received her answer, Sarah was not satisfied. "But, when I met you before, you seemed so cruel, just like Jouegh was for the little time that I spoke with him. You two are similar in a lot of ways."

Jareth's eyes flashed briefly, but his cold mask as Goblin King was back in its place quickly enough. "The first time you came here, Sarah, your imagination took hold of you. In your books and tales, I was a villain: a mean and cruel Goblin King set out to take all the little children away and turn them into goblins. When you came here, you were expecting me to be cruel, you wanted me to be a villain, and so I was. I will admit that I am like that, in some ways, but I was only cruel because you wished me to be so."

"So when I came here," Sarah responded slowly, "how much of it was my doing?"

Jareth sighed. "Most of it. Many of your friends were morphed to fit what you needed. They are real, but they do not remember you. You changed their personalities as well in order to fit what you needed."

Sarah took a deep breath; this was nearly too much for her to handle. "If you remember me, then why do they not?"

"The characters in the Labyrinth are changed each time a new runner comes in to play the Labyrinth," Jareth explained. "Since they are taken advantage of so much, the Labyrinth makes it so that they do not remember any of the runners and what they did. But me, I have to remember, so I do not forget my job and all that I have done."

"Do any of the other "runners" ever make it to your castle?" she asked hesitantly.

"No."

Sarah narrowed her eyes. "But if they can all morph the Labyrinth into what they need, why can they not make it to Goblin City?"  
Jareth laughed. "Because they are all dimwitted little children! They do not know what they need, hardly what they want! They all do not have such a vivid imagination as you do, Sarah. Not all teenage girls are able to look at reality and see what lies beyond it."

"Then what makes me so different?" Sarah asked quietly.

Jareth produced a wry smile. "You defeated me."

_**A/N**: Yippee! Look at me go! Lol. Another chappie! Aren't you all excited? I know I am!_

_But I am going to be starting another Laby story soon, if any of you are interested. I think it is going to be a pretty original story… and it was inspired by true events that one of my friends did. And it made everyone really mad… but that's another story. So you all should go read it! It will be quite the ride!_

_So I hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you next time I update! Whenever that may be…. No just kidding! It should be pretty soon!_

_Much Love,_

_E. Ll_


	7. But the world is neither just nor unjust

**A/N**: _Wow! Thank you all for the kind reviews! They give me motivation. : ) Please enjoy the chapter and, as always, let me know what you think! Thxs!_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

**Labyrinth: The Dream Never Ends**

_By: Eriksleadinglady_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_**Disclaimer**__: Henson owns the Labyrinth. Bah Humbug. However, these pretty little fellows known as OC's are all MINE!!! HA HA HA! _

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

**Chapter 6: But the world is neither just nor unjust**

Jouegh was at his throne, sitting lazily on it as he listened to the messenger before him attempt to give him some information, but the man was so nervous that he was stuttering every out every word, and Jouegh could barely discern a word of it. At last he could take it no longer, and he rose from his throne in one fluid motion.

"Enough!" he yelled harshly, causing the messenger to flinch slightly and cower away in fear. But the single word had served its purpose and the man was quiet.

Jouegh cocked his head to the side in an attempt to sound interested. "So precisely what are you trying to tell me?"

The man began to take a few deep breaths to calm himself, but that was enough to try Jouegh's patience even more so.

"I am not giving you my time so that you can breathe! Out with it already!" he commanded sternly.

"T-The Hymonia a-and Jackylsvan t-territories a-are refusing to o-obey your o-orders, your m-majesty," the man said frightfully. "T-they a-are gathering up t-their p-people a-and a-are p-preparing t-to leave a-as soon a-as t-they p-possibly can!"

Jouegh, however, seemed uninterested in these happenings, and had a smile on his face for he realized that the man only stuttered on his T's, A's, O's, P's, and M's, making him quite amusing and rather open for taunting.

With a wicked idea in mind, the ruler of the Middle Kingdom feigned shock and despair as his eyes widened and his mouth went open in disbelief. "You m-mean t-they a-are p-planning o-on leaving?" the king mocked sadly in a perfect impression of the messenger. "O-oh m-my… what is t-there t-to do?" Then he threw his head back in a fit of cruel laughter.

The messenger lowered his head in shame, and all he could do was stand there and take the mockery. His nerves had gotten the better of him, he would admit, and the stuttering had gone on for far too long. He wanted nothing more than to give that ass what he deserved, but he knew better than to do so. After all, Jouegh's powers were far above his own, and they would be of no use if he had decided to attack.

When the laughter had finally ended, the messenger looked back up and noticed that the king was staring at him in a most peculiar fashion. Then Jouegh raised his finger and pointed it at the door. "What are you still doing here?" barked Jouegh. "Get out of my sight!"

As fast as his legs would allow, the man scurried out of the throne room and out of Jouegh's sight, only too glad to be leaving.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o000ooo

Back in the throne room, Jouegh rose from his seat and began to pace his quarters. Next to the throne stood his most trusted advisor, Yakt, who was a very powerful Minotaur. Yakt was one of the few people that Jouegh trusted; actually, he was probably the only one. At every turn, Jouegh expected someone to be planning treachery and in every face he saw a traitor. But his advisor, he knew he could trust him: Yakt had proven so many years ago. He smirked at the memory. Yes, he was sure his dear brother would remember that.

Turning in his spot, he faced Yakt and narrowed his eyes in thought.

"Yakt," he addressed firmly.

"Yes, Jouegh?" replied the Minotaur. He was the only one who was allowed to call the Highness by his name.

"What do you know about mortals?" asked Jouegh as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Yakt stuck out his chest in pride. "They are cowardly creatures with no purpose. They kill each other and are causing the destruction of their world."

"And they are killed easily?"

"As easy as squashing a bug."

Jouegh showed him a toothy grin. "Good."

"What are your plans?" asked Yakt, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Jouegh waved his hand. "No need to trouble yourself with that, my old friend. They will become known in time." He paused. "But first, I need to speak to a long time family friend."

"Just say the name, and he will be brought to you."

The king shook his head. "No, no. I will go to him."

The Minotaur stood up tall. "The name?"

A smirk lit Jouegh's pale face. "Odeon."

Yakt was silent for a moment, becoming slightly worried at what his king might be planning. "Is that wise, Your Majesty?" he asked quietly.

"No," he replied sarcastically. "He is great enough to kill me." Then he grew angry. "Of course it is wise! He cannot harm me. I spoke with him once before, but I feel that he is hiding something from me. We will go at once."

Then Jouegh turned away from his adviser and stormed out the door, adjusting his sleeve cuffs as he did so. This could get messy.

Behind him, he heard Yakt's hooves clacking on the stone as he followed him out. Even though he would never say it, Jouegh was actually quite grateful to have Yakt as a friend, for sometimes he just needed someone to confide in, and Yakt was the only one for that. Jouegh was certain that Yakt would follow him till the end, and that was what Jouegh required.

Plus, he knew that the Minotaur would never commit treachery against him, for he had already proved himself in that department. Yes, Jouegh remembered that day well…

_Jouegh was flying over the forests of Kilfwood, going to visit his father, when he saw a small Minotaur child wandering the forest. For a moment, Jouegh decided that he would just leave the child there, for he had a meeting to go to, which were required on his part so that the Granatian King could make sure that he wasn't getting into too much trouble._

_But as he flew over the Minotaur, he realized just how powerful that this one creature could be, not only with physical strength, but as well as a pawn to get what he needed. So, finally deciding to speak with the creature, Jouegh flew in for a landing and just as he hit the ground, he transformed into his Fae form._

_The Minotaur looked over at him, and prepared to do battle, thinking that this man was going to attack him, like so many others had. But Jouegh placed out his hands in front of him defensively, and began to speak._

"_I do not want to fight you, my friend" he coaxed. "I want to help you."_

"_Why?" the Minotaur asked._

_Jouegh smirked. "I believe that we can help each other."_

_This got the creatures attention, and he lowered his defensive stance and agreed to listen to this man's proposition._

"_You need help," explained Jouegh, "and I need information."_

"_Go on," replied the Minotaur._

"_I need you, once you are healthy, to go to Goblin City and get into the Kings good graces. Once there, he will trust you and let you, basically, go where you please. Now, after he does trust you, I need you to try and get information about the powers of the Labyrinth, and how far they reach. He might be suspicious at first, but just say that you have heard rumors, and you just want to know what is true." He paused. "I only know one thing, but I am not sure where it is. I need you to ask him about the labyrinth tree and what it does, where it is located. Do you understand so far?"_

_The Minotaur nodded his head._

"_Good," continued Jouegh. "Then there is one last thing that I need you to do. Jareth, the Goblin King, wears an amulet necklace; it is always around his neck. I need you to get that amulet. Can you do this for me?"_

_The Minotaur nodded his head. "But what is in it for me?"_

_Jouegh smirked. "I will help you, give you a good home, and you will become my second hand man when I am the ultimate ruler."_

"_How will you do that? Is it possible?"_

_Jouegh's grin only widened. "Oh yes, it is most certainly possible."_

Jouegh smiled at the memory. Their plan had most certainly worked. Jareth drew to like Yakt very much, and he was placed within his trusted circle. His brother was such a sap. And in fact, Yakt had gotten all the information that he needed, even the amulet. When he first received the amulet, Jouegh was ecstatic, for he knew that the amulet was the key to the Goblin throne and that whoever held it was the king. However, what Jouegh did not know, was that his brother had placed a relocation spell on the piece, and within only a few seconds of receiving it, the amulet disappeared straight out his Jouegh's hands.

He had been very angry, oh yes, but he had gotten over it since he knew that in time, the Labyrinthine kingdom would be his, no matter if his brother liked it or not.

Jouegh had learned some deep secrets from Odeon when he first visited him. It was amazing how much information you could get from a wizard when you tortured him. And now, he was going back to visit his old friend and learn what the wizard had lodged away deep within his mind, so that no one could find it. But he would discover all his secrets – he would make sure of it.

Just as he was getting ready to leave the kingdom, another person materialized before him. A faint smile played at his lips as he realized whom it was.

"Why Lila," he exclaimed when he saw her. "What a pleasant surprise that I should be graced by the Jackylsvan princess so soon."

Lila only rolled her eyes. "Don't pretend to be so happy, Jouegh. Save the sap routine. I came here to arrange the wedding date."

The king narrowed his eyes and he sighed. "Now is not the time. I have business to attend to."

But Lila didn't budge. "If we don't set this up accordingly, you will lose the planned alliance with my land, and we will start a war. This marriage will stop all that, and in order to make it look like we are doing it for my father, we need to set up a date. He will get suspicious if we do not."

"Fine, fine," Jouegh stated, finally giving in to his fiancée. "How about two days from now?"

Lila smiled at getting her way. "That shall be fine. I will inform my father immediately. He will be most pleased."

With that, Lila left and Jouegh was all set to go and finish what he had started.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Sarah lounged in her room, laying on her back in bed. She was bored, as she usually was, but she was also thinking. Things around here were a mess, and she couldn't seem to make sense of any of it. Here, in the Labyrinth, nothing was ever as it seemed. Everything was riddles and nonsensical phrases that she could never figure out. Sure, she had beaten the Labyrinth the first time she was here, but did she understand it? of course not.

She sighed as she sat up and tossed her legs over the side of the bed. There was no point in thinking too much about how and why things were: she would never come to a conclusion. Instead of wasting away her day, Sarah decided that she might as well put herself to some use and try to find something productive to do.

After she left her room, she walked down the halls, not really having a certain destination. She crossed through the throne room, noticing that no one was in there, not even a goblin. Being in here made her remember Dex and how he had helped her. Glancing around, she wondered if she could find her way back to his quarters and perhaps spend the day with him and take him around the gardens. Of course, she doubted that Jareth would be much pleased with that, but he didn't have to know, did he?

Taking a deep breath, Sarah began her attempt to retrace her steps and find the way to the previous room. Actually, Sarah found that it was quite simple to retrace her steps, since she had a particular destination in mind. It seemed as though she was not guiding her feet at all, but that they were leading her.

In no time at all, Sarah had found that familiar hallway that she had been in only yesterday. However, unlike last time, she no longer heard chirping coming from Dex's room. Instead, it was complete silence, just like the door next to it. Hesitantly, she raised her hand to the door and knocked politely on it.

"Hello?" she called lightly at the wood.

She placed he ear next to the door in order to hear any reply. When she heard none, Sarah glanced worriedly around her, thinking that something bad had happened to her friend. Hastily, she attempted to open up the door, but she remembered that there had been to doorknob. Raising her hand to the knocker, she once more banged on it, trying to make it open for her, but once again, nothing happened.

"Dex?" she yelled through the door as she continued her banging.

"Dex!" she called more frantically. Still, there was nothing. Complete and utter silence.

Behind her, a voice spoke from what it seemed to be nowhere. "All that banging and yelling will get you nowhere."

Sarah spun around immediately and looked into those mismatched eyes that she found all too unwelcome at this moment. "What the hell did you do?" she spat at him.

Jareth's mouth twisted into a smirk. "I only gave him what he deserved."

That was the end of the straw for Sarah. Within only one giant step, Sarah placed herself within mere inches of Jareth's face and she grabbed a hand full of his hair, twisting it severely.

"Tell me what you did!" she demanded as she continued to mess up his perfect look.

Jareth, however, decided that he had had enough of this madness and vanished into thin air, leaving Sarah holding absolutely nothing. She turned around on her heel, trying to find him.

Behind her, Jareth reappeared, but Sarah noticed too late. As quick as a cat, Jareth had grabbed her roughly by the arm and pulled her harshly too him, his eyes flashing anger.

"Do not _ever_," he said icily, "reprimand me like that again. Otherwise, you will be severely punished. Is that understood?"

Sarah nodded her head quickly as the pain in her arm began to spread. Then Jareth let her go, shoving her away from him, making her hit the wall behind her with a thud.

She watched as Jareth tugged his jacket back into place and his cool Goblin King mask presumed. Swallowing hard, Sarah dug up the courage to ask him, once again, about her friend.

"So… um… what _did_ you do with Dex?" she asked sheepishly.

Jareth glared at her for a moment, and then he just shrugged carelessly. "Why don't you ask him yourself; he's in the gardens."

Just as Sarah was about to ask why he was there, Jareth vanished once again, leaving her standing alone in the empty hallway. Still wondering what was going on, Sarah continued on her way through the hall, deciding to go out to the gardens, just to see if Dex really was there as the Goblin King had said.

She found her way outside easily enough, and upon entered the gardens, Sarah looked frantically around for her friend. Then she saw him, kneeling upon the ground, appearing to be planting some sort of plant. When she saw him, her eyes gleamed with happiness, and she ran towards him, yelling his name. "Dex!"

He heard his name being called, and turned his pug-looking face to face her. When he saw that it was Sarah, he immediately rose to his feet just in time to meet her in her hug.

"Oh Dex!" she said gaily. "I'm so happy that you're alright."

As they pulled away from each other, Dex looked at her strangely. "Why would I not be alright?" he puzzled. "I am as happy as I've ever been!"

"What happened, Dex?"

Dex laughed heartily. "It was the strangest thing!" he reminisced. "I was sitting in my cell, like I normally do, and then His Majesty entered. He rarely visits me, you know, so you can imagine how surprised I was. Well, he came in, and told me that I was freed of all charges! I asked him what had changed his mind, and he said that a witness came forward to proclaim my innocence! Then, he motioned to the door and told me that I was free to go!"

After Dex had finished explaining, Sarah felt like she was going to faint. All the color rushed from her face, and turning to a nearby bench, she slumped down in it.

Dex looked at her worriedly. "What is the matter, dear Sarah?" he asked kindly.

For a moment, she didn't respond, but just sat there staring out into space, her eyes beginning to glisten.

"Sarah?" Dex asked once more, placing a large furry paw on her shoulder.

At last, Sarah turned to face him, and that was when the tears came pouring came. She turned into his shoulder as she began to babble. "Oh Dex! I was so mean to him! He didn't deserve any of it!" Dex just shushed her as he pet her head. He didn't really understand any of it, but he assumed that she was talking about the King.

Suddenly, Sarah pulled away from him and stood to her feet. Then she turned to face him as she said, "I have to go find him and apologize."

Before Dex could say anything, Sarah was already off and running, leaving him behind, shaking his head.

0o0o0ooo0oo0o00o00o0o0o

Sarah ran as fast as she could into the castle, her mind a jumbled mess. She had no clue what she would say to him if and when she found him, but what she did know was that she had to set things right. In all truth, she felt horrible about what she had done to him; she had no right to reprimand him like that when he had _helped_ her friend. She had… oh god… she had attacked him ruthlessly, without reason, scolding him like a child. She could only imagine what that had done to him, being the proud king that he was. He must have felt humiliated. As she thought, Sarah once again felt the tears wanting to come back, but she shook her head, trying to focus on where she was going and where she would find him.

When she did in fact find him, he was sitting on his throne, his crown placed crookedly on his head, playing with a crystal by rolling it along his arm and hands. When he heard footsteps, he shot his head up instantly, but when he noticed that it was only she he looked back down at his crystal. "Oh, it's you," was all he said.

Sarah stood there, taking a moment to breathe before she spoke. "Jareth," she pleaded. "I am so sorry for what I did to you earlier. I… I was just angry and afraid that you had done something horrible to him." She stole a glance at him and noticed that he was still just playing with a crystal, appearing not to be listening. "I know that an apology cannot fix what I did, but you did not deserve any of it. You helped Dex, let him go free, and for that, both he and I are eternally grateful." She paused, trying to think of her words carefully. "In… exchange for your… _generosity_," she looked down at her feet, "I am willing to offer some sort of… payment for your troubles. Anything you ask of me, I will do."

This had, at last, gotten hold of Jareth's attention, and he stopped playing with his crystal to look at her. By looking at her, he could tell that this had been hard for her to do, for she was standing with her head bowed and was shuffling her feet.

"Anything?" Jareth wondered, a hint of mischief lighting his voice.

Without looking up, Sarah slowly nodded her head.

A smile lit his face as he thought of what he could make her do: _absolutely anything_. She could be his slave, his toy, anything. But as he thought about it more, his smile slowly faded as he realized that he could never make her do anything horrible, even though it was in his ability to do so; he had the power over her. But he could never do anything to harm her. He sighed as he placed a hand over his eyes.

"So?" asked Sarah, who was looking up at him, fear in her eyes.

Rubbing his temples, Jareth rose to his feet and then walked forwards a few steps with his hands clasped. "Alright," he finally said. "I shall strike a bargain with you."

Sarah nodded her head numbly, wondering what sort for torturous thing he would make her do.

"You," began Jareth slowly, "shall… bow."

Sarah's head shot up. "What?" she asked, disbelief in her voice.

"Has your hearing gone bad?" he responded playfully. "I want you to bow before me, like you are mine."

Sarah narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure you don't want me to do anything more productive?" she asked hopefully.

"Sarah, you promised me anything, and I want you to bow before me, like you are my humble servant and subject."

"But I'm not," argued Sarah.

"Exactly!" jeered Jareth. "So let's get to it then! Bow."

"But… but… I am not your servant or slave! And you most certainly are not my king!" Sarah continued indigently.

"Sarah," reprimanded Jareth. "You promised me anything. I shall get what I want, and I want you to bow."

Sarah grumbled to herself as she slowly got down to her knees. "There," she said while she kneeled. "Happy?"

Jareth shook his finger at her. "Ah, ah, ah. All the way."

He continued to smile as Sarah once more mumbled to herself about some "stupid, vain Goblin King", and his smile only widened when she had laid herself all the way down at his feet, her arms outstretched before him. Then Jareth walked past her lowered form saying, "You may rise."

Sarah got up quickly to her feet, lightly cursing beneath her breath and rolling her eyes. She watched as Jareth stopped in the middle of the room, turning around to face her.

"I will be leaving for a couple of days," he explained. "I am visiting an old friend. Now, while I am gone, I want you to behave yourself and not get into too much trouble."

"How long will you be gone for?" asked Sarah.

"About two or three days," considered Jareth.

Sarah then continued to march forwards and as she passed Jareth, she patted him on the back saying, "Okay then, see ya!"

But before she could get too far past him, he grabbed her arm. "Sarah, I want you to promise me that you will not try escaping, or any other funny business."

Sarah grumbled something underneath her breath.

"What was that?" asked the Goblin king as he raised his eyebrows.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "I promise."

A toothy grin spread across Jareth's face. "Good. I shall see you in a couple of days."

With that, Jareth transformed into an owl and flew out the window and over the Labyrinth.

**You know what to do!**

11

V


	8. Its jst us tryng 2 feel tht thrs sns n t

_**A/N: **__Thanks for all the reviews guys! I appreciate your words so much! Please enjoy this chapter, as always, and leave me a pretty lil review! Thxs bunches! Xoxo E.Ll_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_**Labyrinth: The Dream Never Ends**_

_By: Eriksleadinglady_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_**Disclaimer**__: See all the previous chapters for this information. If you don't know it by now, there must be something wrong with you._

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

**Chapter 7: It's just us trying to feel that there's some sense in it**

Jareth flew over the Labyrinth in his owl form, trying to get to his old friend as quickly as he could. He was going to visit Odeon, the great wizard in the Jackylsvan territory in the Middle Kingdom. The territory, he knew, was under Jouegh's rule, so he would have to be extra careful upon entering; he did not want his brother knowing that he was there and for what purpose.

However, being the arrogant king, Jareth believed himself to be nigh untraceable; even by his brother. So Jareth flew along with his mind on everything else beside his pigheaded brother.

Instead, along his flight, he thought about Sarah and their blooming friendship – if he could call it that. He knew that she probably still hated him for what he did and what not, but he was growing to be more and more comfortable with her presence. She was stubborn and foolhardy, but she was also strong-minded and strong-willed. Her feisty spirit drew him to her and although he didn't want to, he was falling for her. She was a mortal, a large drawback, but if she decided to live down here forever, she would eventually take on some aspects of a Fae life, including immortality. She would fade quicker than most, since she would not be a complete immortal, but she would still live a much longer down here than Aboveground.

Also, Sarah held the audaciousness to stand up to him, which was something that no other wise creatures even thought of doing. If any of his subjects, such as a goblin, stood up to him, he would have them killed. With Sarah, however, she had stood-up to him on multiple occasions, not listening to a word he said, and never did he have it in him to give her the proper punishment. He did, though, love to threaten her to make her believe that he might do something, like throw her into an Oubliette, but he would honestly never do that. Mainly, he just did that to keep his image of being fierce and cruel. Without that image, his subjects would act out on him and never listen, thus resulting in riots and free-living goblins all over the place. That would never do. So, he was forced to be cruel and pugnacious to Sarah and everyone else, whether he liked it or not.

As he continued to fly, he realized just how far he had to go in order to get to the other kingdoms. There were many miles of in between land that was ruled by indigenous tribes, who were unruly, not wanting to be controlled by a king. Therefore, Jareth just left them to rule themselves, and thus far, it had worked pleasantly with no outbursts from any of the tribes; all was at peace.

But, to get anywhere at all, he had to fly such a long way. He could use to spell to get himself there in one piece, true, but that would be very rude to just show up at someone else's home without a warning and no welcome. Also, if he did use magic to get there, he was sure that Jouegh would sense him, and since they were twins, they held a special bond that enables such abilities, which he certainly did not want to happen.

Thus, Jareth continued to bat his wings, flying over the expanses of land with long wing strides.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o00o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Sarah sat in the library, many books lying out in front of her. She wasn't sure which one she wanted to read, since there were so many interesting ones to choose from. Many of them she had never heard of before and contained tales about centaurs, unicorns, and other mystical creatures. Along with these, there were also the books containing the history of the Labyrinth, which Sarah believed would be quite entertaining to read as well, since she knew nothing about the land.

But, at last, she decided on a lighter read: the tale of Genji the Goblin Knight. For a moment she laughed at the title, for she could not picture a tiny, messy goblin dressed in a full knight's armor and running to save the day. She figured that the tale would be a funny story or at least amusing.

Settling herself down in one of the chairs, she began to read the tale. As she read on, Sarah discovered that the tale was quite the opposite of what she had expected. It was a history novel telling the story of a goblin named Genji, who saved the goblin population from a deep famine. He was brave and went to the Goblin King to ask for his help. The Goblin King, being the mischievous being, decided to give the goblins food, but make it very hard for them to get it. He placed it deep within the bog of eternal stench, where no one would dare to enter. All the goblins were disheartened about this, but Genji devised a plan in order to get the food and crops. He made a special suit that would block out all the stenches of the bog, and then he wore the suit, entering the smelly place and retrieving all the food for the goblins. Afterwards, the Goblin King was pleased and decided to let the goblins have their food easily, instead of making them do some task to attain it. From then on, Genji was known as a hero, a gallant knight.

About halfway through the story, however, Sarah fell asleep. She did find the story entertaining, yes, but something about it just made her very sleepy. And so, slumping down her chair, Sarah drifted off into a restless sleep.

0o0o0o0o00o0o0o0oo0o000o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Eventually, Jareth managed to get to the tiny living space of the wizard Odeon. He landed quietly in his Fae form and walked briskly over to the door, giving a slight tapping to alert his friend that he was there. He was surprised, however, that when the door opened, Odeon did not stand there, but his brother, Jouegh did. His face must have been one of complete shock, for Jouegh broke into a wide grin.

"Expecting somebody else?" questioned Jouegh as he began to laugh.

Jareth's face of shock immediately turned into a frown of anger and slight embarrassment. "What, may I ask, are you doing here?" he responded through clenched teeth.

"Answering a question with another question, I see," reprimanded Jouegh. "Ah well, I suppose that was in order, since that old goat had lived here for so long." He paused, cocking his head to the side. "But, I suppose the place is up for rent now, if you would like to take a look. I must say, it is quite spacious, considering the way it appears on the outside." He gestured to the surrounding area, and then spoke in a loud voice. "It may seem to just be a tiny little hut, made of straw and leaves, but, I assure you, on the inside it is like a castle."

Jareth glared at his twin menacingly. "What did that man ever do to you." It was not a question, it was an accusation.

He furrowed his brow. "Always jumping to conclusions -"

"But I am always right," interrupted Jareth.

"And having no sense of manners either," finished Jouegh. Then he hung his head as his hands went out to the sides. "Well, I suppose now you want to put me into an oubliette?"

"Oh no, you are far too dangerous to be forgotten about."

Jouegh grinned tauntingly with his perfectly white teeth. "I am honored that you think of me as such a threat."

"I would be a fool not to."

Jouegh was silent for a moment, contemplating on his next move. "You know, Jareth, I have been wondering for quite some time why you brought that little mortal girl back. She will be your downfall."

Jareth growled in anger. "She is important to the Labyrinth. Her world was not satisfying."

"You do realize what she is capable of, don't you?" asked Jouegh. When he saw nothing spark in Jareth's eyes, realization dawned on his features. "Ah, I see. _You have no idea what her purpose is_. That is why you came here. Too bad for you that Odeon is no longer around to offer his services." He pulled out an iron sword from his hilt and rubbed his fingers along it. "Iron. What a magnificent tool, don't you agree? The most dangerous of all substances to the folk that live down here."

Jareth still remained standing tall. "You can't kill me; you know this."

"Ah yes, a brother can't kill a brother; that is a pity since I have been aching to do so for such a long time. You have been such a thorn in my side, an inhibitor to my rights as king. But, alas, I need not kill you."

All of a sudden, Jouegh stabbed the sword through Jareth's abdomen.

"I just need to render you and your magic helpless for awhile, that's all," he said as he continued to stab Jareth. First, in the arm, then the leg, continuing to other various places of Jareth's Fae form. Immediately, without a second thought, Jareth knew what his brother was up to. He was trying to produce as much iron damage as he could so that Jareth would be helpless for some time without magic, which would also drain his energy immensely.

However, Jareth, try as he might, could not summon up the power to get his brother off of him. Slowly, he felt his magic begin to disappear and his world was becoming black. The last image he saw before he lost complete consciousness was the smirk on Jouegh's face. Then, the Goblin King toppled to the ground, out cold.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o00o00o0o0o0o

_Sarah was wandering through the forest, searching for something, although she didn't know what. All she knew was that she needed to find it desperately; it was like whatever it was, was calling to her. She pushed her way through more trees and bushes, looking this way and that, but still not seeing anything. She paused in the middle of a clearing, raising her hand to her eyes to search through out the field._

_Then she saw it: there was something shining in the distance, like a piece of metal. She furrowed her brow, thinking that this reminded her of something, but she couldn't quite remember what. She had seen this shining before, she knew, on multiple occasions, but where?_

_Shaking her head, Sarah continued on her way, feeling as though she was being drawn to the shining. She wound her way through some more bushes, and then she found herself at the foot of a giant silver and gold tree. Just as she was about to step closer, the area around her flashed, and then she found herself inside of a room, decorated in gold trim and white walls. After looking around her at her new surroundings, she noticed that there was the tree, the same tree, located in the middle of the room. Surrounding it were many flowers of different sorts, but all were silver and/or gold. _

_Slowly she inched her way towards the tree, eyeing it carefully._

_Suddenly, the area began to shake as the tree rumbled and a face formed in the front. The eyes, at first, were a bloody red, but then they changed to a dark black. Then the mouth, adjourned with sharp rutted teeth, began to speak._

"_Through the body, the whispers come._

_It travels through the dying one._

_Defeating it once, becoming it twice_

_The mortal will be the device."_

_Then all was silent, but the tree held the same exact expression on it: completely blank._

_Sarah was afraid to speak, frightened that the tree would get angry with her and lash out in rage. She was right in being silent, for then the tree turned it's look directly at Sarah and began to speak once more, continuing with it's riddles and rhymes._

"_Be careful of the same, you must be."_

_Sarah's mouth was agape. "I don't understand," she spoke at last. There was no point in speaking to it if it would never make sense._

"_Try to trick you, to get to me."_

_Sarah continued to not understand. "But who are you?"_

"_Opening to magic, is all in thee."_

_Silence._

"_Only you are welcome, to come to me."_

_Sarah repeated the lines in her head, but could make no sense of them. The tree was talking in riddles, and she couldn't understand. Try as she might, everything the tree was saying to her was coming out in a blur._

_The tree was still looking at her expectantly, seeming to be waiting for some response, anything. _Come one Sarah…. Think. Think

_But she couldn't think. Her mind was only drawing blanks and more blanks. She couldn't process anything. _Just a few words, that's all it needs

"_What must I do?" she finally asked at last. _What must I…?Where did_ that _come from?

"_Protect."_

_Then, the face was gone, and the tree was stark still, like it never had any life in it at all._

Sarah awoke in a start, making the book that was in her lap fall in a clutter to the floor. She cursed under her breath as she bent over, picking up the pieces of paper and the rest of the book. Placing it carefully back onto the table, Sarah rested her head in her hands.

The dream had been like so many others of hers that she had had, and yet it was so different. The tree _spoke_ to her, it could actually form words and phrases, although it loved to rhyme. She replayed it over and over in her head, but still she could not understand what the tree was trying to tell her. She only really understood one part: _Protect._ But protect what? What was there to protect? The tree had said that someone was trying to get to it. But what exactly _was _it?

She sighed heavily. She needed to talk to Jareth; perhaps he knew what was going on here. But he wouldn't be back for a couple of days. How many more? Two? Shaking her head, Sarah knew that that was too long. The tree had sounded almost urgent, like whatever it was that was coming, was coming soon.

"Come on, Sarah," she whispered under her breath. "Think. Riddles and Rhymes… you grew up on this stuff. Now what does it all mean?"

But try and try as she might, she could piece nothing together. The way the tree had said some of those words made it sound like it was repeating a prophecy of some sort. However, Sarah did not know of any prophecies of the Underground, barely even any of the Aboveground.

Her head then shot up and she looked around her. Of course! She was in Jareth's personal library! Hadn't he said that he was in here earlier? Surely, out of all these books, there must be one about prophecies!

Quickly, Sarah rose to her feet and began looking up and down every shelf, nook, and cranny in the room. Her eyes frantically scanned each title for anything with "prophesy" in it. However, she found nothing with that word in the title, only things about myths and history.

Once more, she sat back down on the chair, continuing to ponder all possible plans of actions that she could take in order to figure this thing out. The only thing, or rather person, that she could think of to help was Jareth, and he was gone! She had no way of contacting him. Unless…

"Jareth!" she called spontaneously. She wondered if he would even answer, since he was obviously busy, but she figured she might as well try. But after waiting a couple of minutes, Jareth still did not show any sign of himself.

"Jareth!" she yelled once more, but he still did not come.

Then Sarah rose to her feet, getting sick of just sitting there useless. Maybe, just maybe, there was someone else around Goblin City, or just in the Labyrinth in general, that could answer some of her questions, since Jareth refused to come. So, with her resolve set in place, she left the library and began her way out to the front doors.

On her way out however, just as she was opening up the door, she heard a voice call from behind her.

"Hello, Sarah."


	9. No the world is neither just nor unjust

**A/N: **_thanks for all the reviews guys! I love every one! And I know you guys are gonna hate me cuz I didn't really answer the cliffie… you'll see what I mean… : ) so, if you really wanna know what happens, please give me a review! And enjoy the chapter! Thxs!_

-

-

-

-

-

_**Labyrinth: The Dream Never Ends**_

_By: Eriksleadinglady_

-

-

-

-

_**Disclaimer:**_ _Labyrinth is not mine. Neither is Jareth… Which is sad, because I know for a fact that he would love me! After all, I'm so spectacular! Hee hee. Not really, but… as least Jouegh's mine. He is a twin to Jareth, and even if he s evil… he's nothing compared to me!_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

**Chapter 8: No the world is neither just nor unjust**

Jareth awoke some time later, his entire body aching, including a horrible migraine beyond words and expression. Slowly he rose to his feet, but found his legs to be incredibly shaky, and he wobbled over for a moment, taking time to regain his balance. He placed a hand on a nearby tree trunk in order to steady himself before he once more tried to walk. Still, he was weak and unstable and could not function to his full capacity. Grabbing a hold of his head, he tried to concentrate in order to use his magic. Focusing as much as he could, and using what little energy he had left, Jareth attempted to create one of his crystals. But not much to his surprise, he found that he had no magic in his bones to create such an item.

Under his breath, Jareth heavily cursed his brother for doing such a horrendous thing to him. That iron had hurt like hell, no, much worse, and he remembered very vividly the treacherous thing that had been done upon his being. Iron was a very dangerous thing to be meddled with down here, but luckily for him, it was not enough to kill him. The places where Jouegh had stabbed him had healed while he slept, although some of the areas were still sore, and probably would be until he regained all his magic. The iron had rendered him without power, and now, as he surveyed his surroundings, realized that he was lost as well. He had no clue where his brother would have dropped him off at, and so Jareth, in turn, had no idea which direction to go in.

He sighed as he tried to tell which way was north. North always led to civilization, right? Or did north just lead to water? Jareth shook his head. He had never bothered to learn any survival techniques, for he had always had his magic to use to transport him to wherever. Now, however, he was deeply regretting that decision. He couldn't even turn into an owl to scout the area!

Looking about him in all directions, he decided that he would just use his basic instincts to guide him through the giant forest. After he had turned all about, Jareth concluded to go down the path that held the least amount of shrubbery, if he could consider it that.

So picking up his left foot, Jareth set off in his decided direction.

After several hours (or had it only been minutes?) Jareth found himself to be getting even more lost than he was before, if it was possible, which Jareth believed it to be so. No area or direction looked even slightly familiar to him, and he was beginning to wonder if this place was even real, or just a concoction of his imagination! Still, Jareth's resolve was high, and so he continued on in his search for finding his way out of this mess.

Multiple times along his search, Jareth found his mind wandering towards Sarah, instead if his dirty brother. It seemed that he was more worried about her well being than getting his revenge on Jouegh. Perhaps he was losing his mind after all. _Or do you truly love the girl?_ His mind mocked. But Jareth just shook his head. Thinking about that right now would just drive him crazy and he would just keep on wondering how she felt, and if she cared for him too, instead of trying to find a way out of here.

_Yes,_ concluded Jareth. _It is better to think of a plan at a time like this instead of some silly little girl._

Continuing on along what he thought of as 'his trail', Jareth began to grow wearier and wearier by the second. It seemed as though he was still not as rested from his iron incident as he had previously hoped. Leaning against the nearest tree, he began to take in deep breaths in order to steady himself for his journey. Even though he was labored, he knew when he needed rest. Placing his back against the tree that his hand had been resting on, Jareth slumped down into a sitting position at the base.

As he sat there, he heard a rustling in the distance, like someone was walking. He could faintly hear the crunching of their boots, however, proving that whatever it was moved with great stealth. The noise was coming from behind him and he slightly turned his head, just enough to take noticed of what it was. When he saw it, he immediately rose to his feet and backed away slightly, his eyes widening with shock. Before him was an all too familiar woman, her long brown, wavy hair cascading down her back. Her features were striking, with an angular face and a voluptuous body, all together making her a very beautiful woman.

When she saw him, her mouth twisted into a sly smirk, accentuating her distinct features. "My, my," she said silkily as she advanced on Jareth. "It seems I have found myself a Goblin King."

Jareth swallowed tightly as he managed to nod his head. "Lila," he addressed curtly. His feet were beginning to feel weak and his legs shaky. He was worried that he would fall down any moment; but, luckily, he managed to gain his composure in front of her.

Her smile widened. "How nice that you remember me, after all those years, Jareth," she said as she continued to walk towards him. "We've been out of contact for so long."

"You have only yourself to blame, _princess._ You began to fraternize with the enemy." His eyebrows raised in accusing mockery. "That, I just could not stand for."

Lila pouted her lips. "Oh, you know I was just having fun." She stepped closer to him, her body only inches away. "Besides," she whispered in his ear, "it is you that I want."

Jareth immediately stepped away from her. "You only want what you can't have." He squared his shoulders. "Now go home, back to your soon-to-be-husband - my dear, dear brother - and leave me be."

"Now, now, Jareth, don't be so quick to send me away! I am not married to your brother just yet, you know. Besides, I am only doing it to 'make peace between our two territories' as my father puts it. But me, I am doing it to become high queen." She scoffed. "My poor father doesn't even know that I will turn against him the minute I am crowned. Though, his faith in me is very sweet, but it is greatly misplaced; he is a fool to trust me. Honestly, who would believe that I would stay honest to my father, _oh great king of Jackylsvan_," she continued sarcastically. "If anyone believes me of such, then they deserve whatever treachery I throw their way." She paused to look Jareth sweetly in the eyes. "But you, Goblin King, have always seen straight through me. That is what I respect you for. Pity that you have to be stubborn though. We would have been such a great match together."

She paused, waiting for him to reply, but when no words came from his mouth, Lila turned her back to him and began to slowly walk away.

"You are such a waste of good looks, Jareth, I hope you know," she called over her shoulder. "You could have anybody, anything, and yet you always settle for less. Pity."

And then she was gone. Just like that, she had come back into his life, and then she had left as quickly as she had come. But it was just as well; Jareth wanted nothing to do with that temptress. After all, he would never go for someone that was in with his brother; that sort of evil should not be trifled with.

Once he was sure that she was gone, Jareth once more slumped down against the tree, trying to get some more rest to his poor body.

His mind wandered back to Lila, thinking of how odd it was that she just happened to be out here, in the middle of the forest, just when he was here as well. It was most convenient on her part, hinting that she might have had something to do with his attack as well. It would be no surprise to Jareth if she really had helped his brother surprise him with his presence at Odeons'. But it was no matter now, for he was still lost and he was still in the dark of his present situation.

Sighing, Jareth's eyes wandered around the forest, and, as he began to look at it all even more, something struck him as slightly familiar. He narrowed his eyes as he continued to take in deep breaths and tried to remember what all this reminded him of.

Somewhere in the distance, he saw a faint blue glow emaciating from… was that a stream? or a pond? He squinted his eyes in that direction, trying to make out whatever it was. Giving in to his curiosity, Jareth slowly rose to his feet, taking a moment to regain his balance. Then he began to take trying steps towards the water, now in deep want of whatever it held.

When he reached it, his eyes widened in shock at first, and then with realization. He had heard and read about this place before, where this pool lied. It was the All-seeing pool, which could show you the future, if it wanted to. It didn't show its powers to anyone, only those that it chose or considered to be qualified for such a great thing.

Jareth eyed it carefully, wondering if he wished to see the future at all. He had always wondered what the future had held for him, but at a time like this, he wondered if he really wanted to know. Sighing his resignation, Jareth approached the pool with a wary eye, watching it to see if it would indeed show him anything.

As he approached it, he watched the pool as it began to swirl and continue to illuminate with blue light. Then, the pool began to transform from its clear blue color into a picture screen. He watched what played out before him, knowing that it was the future…

_The land was a barren place, all of its previous beauty was replaced with rock and it seemed as though the sun had disappeared completely. The view turned to a castle, large and made of stone; an imposing figure of doom. It zoomed into the castle, going in through a window. Then the picture was of a man sitting on a throne, with a crown on his head, and a scepter in his hand._

_It was Jouegh, divine ruler of both worlds. He sat on his throne, watching as his prisoners worked away, in and out of the castle. Then the view expanded, showing the entire expanse, and all of the creatures, large and small, good and bad, were being used to excavate and work for unknown purposes._

_Then the view expanded even more, and it showed the Aboveground, which was in the darkness as well. The humans were nowhere to be seen, apparently either inside their homes, or possibly all dead. There were giant, evil creatures everywhere, keeping on eye on what was happening and making sure that all was doing what they were supposed to do._

_The image then went back to Jouegh's castle, and it went beneath the surface, down into the prison cells. There, he saw Sarah, who was being held in a special case of some sort, as though she was being preserved. She was deathly pale, and her eyes were closed. She never moved from her position, but just laid there in her coffin, her hands clasped in front of her, in perhaps a deep sleep._

_Then the picture moved from Sarah, and went into an adjacent cell, where Jareth saw himself sitting. He looked paler than usual, and was becoming extremely thin. Under his eyes were dark circles, causing him to look like he hadn't slept in days and was extremely famished and tired. The picture zoomed into his face, and his eyes went up, showing just how sad he was and how deep the pain went. The image followed Jareth's line of sight, and it proved that he was looking over at Sarah. There was regret, guilt, and emptiness in his eyes when he looked at her. And then he dropped his head to his chest, looking to be utterly defeated…_

When the image faded away, Jareth was left looking at it, utterly bewildered and… was he frightened? This was certainly a new emotion for the Goblin King, and he wasn't quite sure what to do with it. But as he thought back on what he saw, he knew that he was indeed afraid of what lied ahead.

Worst of all, Jareth thought, was how Sarah had looked. She appeared to be dead, yet she was alive. This confused him, for why was she being kept in such a style? What had happened to her? He knew that it probably had something to do with Jouegh and that prophesy, but he still did not know what that prophecy meant; Jouegh had made sure of that. Since Jareth was not able to speak with Odeon, the one person who would know what this was all about, Jareth felt like he would be kept in the dark of what to expect and how to prevent it.

The future was not at all what Jareth had expected. He had always wondered what would come to pass if Jouegh had indeed gotten power, but what he saw was ultimately unexpected. It was a horrendous view of a world to come. Although Jareth hated what he saw in that pool, he was not completely regretful that he had seen it. Horrible as it was, it gave him a new sense of drive in order to do everything in his power to prevent that future from coming.

He turned away from the pool and began to stalk off in the opposite direction. As he was walking, he noticed something peculiar begin to rise in his bones, his blood. It felt like a breath of fresh air, and familiar air at that. Flexing his hand, he realized what it was: he had gotten his magic back. Jareth couldn't help but smile at the thought of being able to use his magic once again in order to get out of this unknown place.

Just for practice, Jareth created one of his mischievous crystals, testing it to make certain that everything was in working order; and indeed it was. Testing his energy and power, Jareth was careful to make positive that he had complete power and was ready to use a transportation spell. When he was well convinced of his state, Jareth all too eagerly used his regained magic to transport himself back to his home, his castle beyond Goblin City.

Once he was back inside his castle, safe and sure, he took in a deep breath of the refreshing, regular air, and proceeded to go directly to Sarah's room, just to double-check that she was still there and doing alright.

Sensing that using the previous transportation spell had taken a rather taxing toll on his magical abilities, Jareth decided that he would walk to Sarah's room, since it wasn't too far at all, seeing as how he had plopped himself right into the throne room. As he walked there, he had an extra bounce in his step, just being all over happy at returning to a somewhat sense of normality. The Labyrinth was his home, and even as the Goblin King that he was, he too got a little home sick sometimes.

When he reached Sarah's bedroom, he decided to knock on it instead of just barging in there, like he normally would. He waited for an answer, but when none came, he once more tried his knocking. Still, nothing replied from the other side of the door.

Shrugging his shoulders, Jareth assumed that Sarah was in the bath, like she had been on previous other occasions. So he let himself into the room and went into the bathroom, where, to his surprise, Sarah was not located. And it seemed as though the bath had not been in use for some day's time.

Narrowing his eyes, Jareth now began to wonder where that woman could have gone off to this time. Then he remembered how she loved reading books, and he decided to go and try the library. This time, since the room as located up many steps, he used a simple spell to get himself there (this one used a lot less magic, since it was so close and it was in his realm). When he got in there, Sarah was still nowhere in sight. However, he did notice that a few books and shelves had been thrown all over the place, creating quite the mess. For a moment, Jareth pondered what Sarah could have been doing in here to cause such a ruckus, but he just let it slide, knowing that Sarah did have quite the temper.

As he stood in the library, Jareth began to wonder where else she might have gone off. The gardens? Poof, he was there. Still, there was no Sarah. The kitchen? No, she was not there either.

Now, Jareth was beginning to get worried, not being able to think of anywhere else that the girl might have run off to. He wondered whether or not she was smart enough to stay out of the Labyrinth… he concluded that she was not. Then he walked over to the front of his castle, but as soon as he reached the doors, he stopped dead in his tracks.

Before him, the castle doors were flung wide open, an array of items scattered everywhere, inside and out. What worried Jareth even more, however, were the dead bodies of so many goblins lying in the path and around the doorway. He gave a moment of silence to the poor souls who had passed away here, and thanked them for giving their lives, whatever the cause may have been.

Then he redirected his attention to what possibly could have caused such a thing.

It appeared as though some sort of attack had gone here, no doubt about it. As he looked forwards even more, his eyes landed on something just by the inside of the doorway, near the front steps. He eyed it carefully as he walked towards it and noticed that it was a letter, addressed to him. Gingerly, he picked it up and ripped it open carelessly. On the inside it read:

_My dearest brother:_

_I am sure that by now you are wondering what has happened in your own dear castle and where your precious little Sarah is. I assure you, Jareth, that she is unharmed and perfectly safe in my keeping. However, I cannot say as much about your goblins. I will not lie; I tried to kill as many of them as I possibly could. They are such pesky little vermin, always getting in the way and defending _their king_ until the end. They are very loyal to you, though, I will give them that. Of course, they were, and are, no match for me. I do apologize if I left a mess though, that was not my intention._

_My intentions, sure and true, were just to get Sarah. I do hope that by now you have at least heard of the prophecy. But I am certain that you do not know what it means, which is a terrible thing for you, I must say. And no, I will not enlighten you, not yet. That would just ruin all the fun._

_I hope that my letter, besides all the other little inconveniences that I just inflicted, has found you in good health. When we meet again, I hope you will be in tip-top shape so I can prove once and for all that I am better you. Until then, my brother…_

_The High and Mighty,_

_Jouegh_

After Jareth had finished reading the letter, he was thrown into a most foul mood. He was upset, indeed, that his brother had had the gall to come into his own castle and take his property, as well as kill a good multitude of his subjects; this was beyond rude. But, of course, he had expected something to happen while he was left helpless in the middle of an unrecognizable forest.

In his hand, he crumpled the letter and threw it carelessly over his shoulder. His brother would pay dearly for this atrocious act; he would make sure of it. And if Jouegh so much as harmed one single, beautiful hair on Sarah's head, Jareth would make his life a living hell. Or, he could just banish him to hell itself… yes, that sounded more like a plan.

**Dun dun dun!!!! So... what happened to Sarah? Next chappie! Promise!**


	10. And though going young, so much undone

**A/N**_: Mucho gracias to all my reviewers! Love em all and they give me inspiration and motivation – some of the most important tools needed to write! Please enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think! Thxs!_

_-_

_-_

_-_

**Disclaimer:**_ Labyrinth is not mine, but everything that you do not recognize is mine! So don't touch!_

_-_

_-_

_And a special thanks to my beta, whobleyh!_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_**Labyrinth: The Dream Never Ends**_

_By: Eriksleadinglady_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

**Chapter 9: And though going young, so much undone**

"Hello, Sarah," a voice called from behind her.

Instantly, Sarah spun around to face the newcomer, and her breath caught in her throat when she saw him standing there. It was Jouegh, Sarah could tell by his eyes, standing there in a simple black button up shirt and black dress pants. For a moment, Sarah was at a loss of what to do. Not only did he surprise her by being there, but he frightened her as well, for she knew what he was up to. Gathering all her courage, she finally spoke.

"Jouegh," she addressed simply.

He smirked. "Oh good, you can tell us apart, like so many others seem to be able to do as well. Perhaps humans are not as dimwitted as I have previously believed them to be."

Sarah showed no expression. "Perhaps." She would not give him the pleasure of seeing how angry and afraid she really was. In a time like this, she needed to keep her calm, if not on the inside, then at least on the outside.

Jouegh cocked his head to the side. "I thought you were a feisty little thing, Sarah. It is quite a disappointment, not being able to see that fire that lies deep within you. It is quite fascinating, meeting a mortal such as yourself; it is no wonder that so many have been taken with you."

Sarah scoffed. "So many? I don't know of a single one."

"Now, now, Sarah. No need to play dumb with me. I already know just how smart you are, even if you do let your curiosity get the better of you. You have a great mind, no doubt about it, as well as great power. You need only to learn how to use it."

Sarah raised her eyebrows in question. "And I suppose you are the one to teach me these things?"

Jouegh let a slight chuckle escape his lips. "I never said that you _were_ going to learn how to use it, just that you could. However, I do not think it wise on my part to do such a nice thing for you. After all, if you learned how you were going to be used, then you would be of no use to me. You have no clue just how much of an important rule you will play in helping me."

"I won't help you. You no I won't," defied Sarah.

Jouegh began to take steps towards her. "You don't have a choice in the matter, I'm afraid. Against me, you are helpless."

As Jouegh began to advance on her, Sarah slowly backed herself up, trying to keep as much distance between them as she could. She looked over her shoulder, discerning whether or not she would make it if she made a run for it. Behind her was the Labyrinth, it's winding hedges and traps didn't seem to appealing, but compared to Jouegh, it seemed to be the better of the two. Giving one last glance at Jouegh, who had a knowing smile on his face, Sarah turned her back to him and began to run as fast as she could.

Behind her, she could hear Jouegh's laugh of amusement, but she paid it no mind, continuing to run. However, after only going perhaps a hundred feet, Sarah found that she had stopped moving. Her legs were moving, yes, but she was not going anywhere. Looking behind her, she saw Jouegh walking towards her, taking his time. Then, the vision of the outside, she noticed, had become slightly fuzzed and altered. But when she looked down at herself, she was perfectly clear. But then when she looked outside once more, the land and things had become slightly blurred.

"Sarah, Sarah, Sarah," she heard Jouegh say when he had caught up to her and was standing in front of her. "When will you ever learn?"

Sarah glared at him. "What did you do to me?" she asked through clenched teeth.

"Don't worry, you are perfectly safe," assured Jouegh. "You are just placed within a little force field, which prohibits your movements as well as touching anything. You see, it is a bubble: a bubble that is holding you to the spot and won't allow anything to touch you. Quite a helpful little thing, isn't it? Now I can keep you without so much as laying a finger on you, which, in turn, saves my energy and time."

Sarah placed her hands out in front of her slowly, feeling the area there. Just as Jouegh had said, there was a somewhat of a wall around her, keeping her enclosed and unable to move. Sarah eyes widened in horror as she realized just what kind of situation she had gotten herself into. She was stuck in here, and she couldn't do anything about it. Jouegh had easily taken the upper hand, and now she was stuck at his mercy; a place that she had never wanted to be. Taking a shaky breath, Sarah looked at Jouegh.

"What do you want?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, Jouegh, what do you want?" a mocking female voice came from behind Sarah. Hastily, she turned around in her "bubble" and she saw a woman walking down the stairs of the castle. She was beautiful, having long, wavy brown her. Her eyes were a light blue and her lips a deep red.

When Jouegh saw her, his eyes sparkled as a faint twitch pulled at his lips. "Ah, Lila, how kind of you to join us."

Lila reached his side and placed hard kiss on his awaiting lips. When she pulled away, a smirk lit her face. "I just had a little run-in with a certain Goblin King that you had so kindly placed within my forest." She glanced at Sarah. "He was such a playful boy, very glad to see me, I believe."

"I am glad you enjoyed yourself, princess. I knew you would."

Lila waved her hand, dismissing the conversation. "Enough talking about him, I grow bored. But this new little catch of yours seems quite amusing." She paused. "She is the mortal, yes? The one that we need?"

Jouegh nodded his answer.

"Hmph," scoffed Lila. "She is not what I expected. So… fragile and plain. I don't see why you're both so fascinated by her; she is nothing compared to the immortals here."

Jouegh leaned in closer to Lila and whispered in her ear. "You haven't seen her when she's angry."

The princess' mouth formed an "oh." Then she looked over at Sarah through the corner of her eye. "So she is one of those kind…"

Sarah watched the two immortals carefully, getting more worried by the second of what they were going to do with her. Also, for a moment she wondered who this _Lila_ was. Jouegh had called her a princess, perhaps she was the one he was going to marry; they did seem rather intimate for a second there. From her force field, Sarah spoke to the two.

"What are you planning to do with me?"

Jouegh was the one to respond, walking towards her slightly. "Now why would I tell you and ruin the surprise?"

Sarah fought hard to keep herself from yelling and becoming too angry and stubborn in front of them. "Well, it is going to happen to me whether I want it to or not. If it will happen in the future anyways, then why not disclose that information now instead of later?" She paused. "Like that saying, 'Why do tomorrow what you can do today?'"

He considered this for a moment, seeming to be weighing the pros and cons in his mind. Then he shrugged it off and nodded to Lila, who lifted Sarah in the air, keeping her in the force field.

"No, I think I shall wait, or at least until we get there. You never know what little creatures may be listening; they are such an annoyance, those little vermin. I don't really know why anyone would want to rule them... but to each his own, I believe..."

Jouegh gave one final nod to Lila, and then the two were gone, vanished into thin air. It was then that Jouegh noticed the group of goblins that were accumulating. They looked on at the scene before them with a growing interest. It looked as though they were very confused, wondering if this was their king or not. They looked alike, but something seemed to be off. None of the goblins could figure it out. One brave goblin began to step forward, but immediately when he did so, Jouegh froze him to the spot, and then with a snap of his fingers, shattered him into a million little bits. The observing goblins began to murmur amongst themselves, gasping at what they had just seen. They knew that their Goblin King had a temper, but to kill a goblin on the spot? It was unheard of. Still, seeing such a display was enough to frighten all of them away.

But as they began to move away, the king decided that he shouldn't let them. Thus, he began to take out goblins on the spot. Some, he shot with fireballs, others he strangled with an invisible hand, and others he just stopped their hearts. Even as the goblins tried to run away, Jouegh shot them down with ease, feeling not threatened in the least. But, they were annoying little vermin, and ugly short fellows; no one could stand the sight of them, or the smell. Overall, they were hideous little creatures that didn't even deserve to live. This in itself was enough reason for Jouegh to kill them all, without giving a second thought to a single one.

After the massacre, and Jouegh couldn't see a single goblin in sight, he turned his back on the castle and the mess that he had created. With a wave of his hand, he now held the letter that he had previously written for this occasion, and, without even glancing back, he placed it on the castles doorstep, and then he vanished from sight.

0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o00o

At Jouegh's castle, Sarah found herself in what appeared to be the throne room, still suck inside the force field that Jouegh had captured her in. Glancing all around her, she tried to think of some way that she could escape, or possibly just get out of this imprisonment. But she could think of no ways to cancel whatever spell Jouegh had put on her; she knew no magic and she had no friends that did either, or at least ones who would be nearby.

She looked to her left, noting that the girl Lila was leaning against the wall, fiddling with her hair. As if sensing her stare, Lila looked up and met Sarah's gaze. Immediately, Sarah looked away, feeling awkward at her current state. She heard Lila move away from the wall and walk towards her. Sarah stiffened noticeably, and was quite relieved when the woman stopped a couple of feet away from her, not coming any closer.

"Trying to think up a plan, are we?" accused Lila, who was staring at Sarah with a somewhat of an amused look, that and annoyed.

Sarah glanced at her quickly. "Well, if you were in my situation, wouldn't you?"

She laughed loudly as she replied, "If I was indeed in your situation, I would be able to get myself out. After all, I have magic. Too bad that you do not, otherwise, you could be out of here in a jiffy. But seeing as how you are just a lowly mortal, with no special powers of any sort, you are at a great disadvantage. If you weren't previously in the Labyrinthine castle, you would have been eaten alive. However, the King decided to take you in at any rate. How convenient, eh?"

Sarah nodded numbly. "Yes, I suppose it was kind of him…"

"Kind?" mocked Lila, as she walked around Sarah in a circle. "He was only using you for his own purposes. He knew what you were capable of, and if he held you in his power, you could be quite useful. He only wanted you so that he could advance his own personal power."

"Funny, that's exactly what he said about Jouegh."

"Well of course he would! That's how Jareth works! He's an evil, manipulative bastard! With his charm and sensuality, he can make you believe anything he wants you to. Did you truly think that he wanted you for _you_?" She took Sarah's silence for a yes, which was met by more laughter. "Oh you poor mortal thing! You actually thought that he could possibly love you? Even if only a little? That is precious... Listen, darling, immortals do not fall in love that often, especially with a mortal. To think that you were any different, is, well, selfish, among other things. Why would he choose you, when he could have a creature such as myself?" She shrugged indifferently. "Because he would never do such a preposterous thing in the first place. Get over it, sweetheart, you were nothing but his plaything to power."

Sarah was silent during Lila's entire little speech, not wanting to make any more of a spectacle of herself than she already had. At first, she was not taking anything this, _immortal_, said seriously, after all, she trusted Jareth, didn't she? At the end of the talk, however, Sarah wasn't so sure. Of course she didn't trust Lila, but… how could Jareth ever care for her? She was nothing compared to the creatures that he could have down here. She was plain and simple, not having any of the extravagance and beauty that the mistress' here held; she was just normal.

Slowly, Sarah felt the tears beginning to form, but she wouldn't dare let them fall. A part of her believed Lila but another part of her was screaming at her to stay strong and trust Jareth. She knew Jareth, he was familiar; at least as well as someone like him could be. She thought of all the conversations that she had held with him: at her house, at his castle, in the Labyrinth. It was then that she realized that everything that he had ever said to her was the truth. Jareth may be arrogant, selfish, and childish, but he certainly wasn't a liar to the extent that Lila was insinuating. He had done everything, _everything,_ that she had ever wanted, and it all had gone beyond her expectations. He _had_ been generous; she wished away Toby, and he gave her the chance to get him back; she was lost, and he sent her friends; she had wanted to be frightened, and he became the villain; he had offered her the world, and yet she had turned him down. Although the last thing was her fault, and she felt horrible for doing it to him, even back then, she knew that it was the right thing to do. She could never have traded a little brother for her dreams, no matter how wonderful the things were that the Goblin King had offered her. She had held a responsibility to her brother as his sister (even though now… now that was of little consequence), just as she held responsibility to Jareth now, just as a friend.

With newfound courage, Sarah faced Lila, who was staring at her with a very confused look on her face.

Sarah looked her straight in the eyes and smiled. "I think I'm going to go ith Jareth, on this one, Lila. After all, you are the one who lies and tries to manipulate people. Jareth is not the evil bastard that you say he is. He is generous and fair and a great king. Anyone who tries to take that away from him is a fool. Although he may not show it, he is a kind person, who tries to treat everyone equally, even though he views himself above everyone else, but… isn't that his right? I mean, after everything he does for everyone, and his position as king of such a powerful entity, doesn't he deserve the right to have the occasional splurges and indulgences of being superior? He is a great man, a real friend, and I have been a fool to think of him otherwise: as a villain, an evil man. But that ends now. He deserves much more credit for the things that he does, more than anyone else. And you, Lila, don't deserve to even say his name, to even think about him; he is a much better person than you could ever hope of becoming. You are the one is confused and corrupted, not me and most certainly not him; not ever him."

At the end of her speech applause had begun to arise from behind Sarah, a slow beating of congratulations.

"Bravo, Sarah, bravo," said Jouegh, who had just arrived. "I just got here and imagine my surprise when I hear you giving an oh so touching speech about a certain brother of mine. It is quite honorable that you should be so loyal to him after all that he has put you through. That is, indeed, very respectable on your part. And do I sense maturity has finally come along? Why yes, Sarah, you have certainly come a long way since the last time that you were here at fifteen; a very long way indeed."

Sarah raised her chin defiantly. "That's more than I could ever say for you."

"But, Sarah," countered Jouegh, "should you really be saying such things? After all, it is at my mercy that you rest now. A wrong move on your part could mean your death."

But Sarah still did not cower before him. "You said that you needed me; that I was to help you. It would be a shame for you to kill someone that you need in order for world domination, or whatever impossible feat you think yourself able of doing."

Jouegh pondered this for a moment before he replied, "You're right; I do not mean to kill you. But, that does not mean that you need both of your legs in order to help me."

Sarah took a sharp intake of breath, but she still remained strong and she decided to press her luck. "I can live without a leg, true, but I can bleed to death from the loss of blood."

Jouegh smirked knowingly. "You can't bleed to death; not if I just zap that thing right off." He moved forward with his hand in one quick motion, which cause Sarah to jump back slightly. However, nothing happened, only the erupting laughter of two evils.

"Jareth will come and stop you," Sarah said menacingly.

"Bah, that's nonsense. He's been detained."

"Is he alright?"

"Is he alright?" mocked Jouegh. "Of course he is; I don't need to kill him to defeat him."

"So what are you planning on doing?" questioned Sarah.

"Oh, you know, harness great magic and then use it to control the world. The usual," shrugged Jouegh.

"The Labyrinth will never let you rule it."

"No," agreed Jouegh, "nor will it let anybody."

Sarah was slightly confused by his statement and pondered over it for a moment. However, before she could reply, Jouegh continued on.

"But it will, however, give power to it's 'chosen one', I suppose you could call it. And seeing as how that is you, I believe that everything should go just fine," he said.

"Your plan won't work," considered Sarah. "I do not want it's power and I will not ask that of it."

"Ask?" repeated Jouegh. "Who said anything about asking it? All you have to do touch it and it will send its power to you."

Still Sarah shook her head. "But then I will have the power and not you."

Jouegh sighed his obvious annoyance with all her petty questions. "Wouldn't you think that I have this all figured out by now, since I have already obtained you? Honestly, why would I have taken you now, and attracted the attention of my brother, when I did not have everything worked out? Have a little faith here."

"Well then how do you plan to do it?"

Jouegh furrowed his brow as he looked around the room. "Do I have to explain myself to you?" he asked Sarah. Then he turned to Lila with a questioning gaze. "Do I have to explain myself to her?" Lila tried to hide her smile, as she shook her head no. Then Jouegh raised his hands in triumph. "Well then, it would appear to me that I do not have to answer any of your questions. I reserve that right." He paused. "And you forget, Sarah, that I have magic, which plays a major role in all happenings down here."

Then he clasped his hands together, taking a deep breath. "Now then, shall we be off?"

**Please leave a little something for me to remember you by! **


	11. Is a tragedy for everyone

**A/N**_: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Although, I would like a few more… but that's just the details! No biggie! But please, if you are reading this story, please please please review! Thxs! And do enjoy the chapter… I write for your enjoyment…_

_-_

_-_

_**Disclaimer**__: Labyrinth and its characters are not mine... Hensons… but I do own all original people (and things) so no touchy!_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_**Labyrinth: The Dream Never Ends**_

_By: Eriksleadinglady_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

**Chapter 10: Is a tragedy for everyone**

Jareth entered into the castle discreetly, hoping that no one would notice his presence – at least until he found Sarah. He was in Jouegh's domain now, and if he encountered anyone, they would surely alarm the entire building, which was something that Jareth wanted to avoid. He just wanted to get to Sarah with no fights along the way, and then take her back to the Labyrinth where they could formulate a real plan – and buy themselves some time.

Continuing to walk through the corridors, Jareth finally found himself in the throne room, where he was sure that he would find Sarah and Jouegh. However, he could see no one in sight. He furrowed his brow as he looked around the room in different directions, but it was evident that no one was here.

Going to press his luck, Jareth walked – in sight – through most of the castle. Still, to his mild surprise, nobody was inside. All was completely silent, and for a second, Jareth pondered over where they would be, if not here. Realizing what had happened, he cursed under his breath, a frown growing upon his face. It was not supposed to be this way yet; Jareth was supposed to have stopped Jouegh before he got this far, but it would seem that Jouegh's plans were much farther along than Jareth had thought.

Everything was moving along so fast, and Jareth was now questioning whether or not he would make it on time.

Transforming into an owl, Jareth began to make his way back to the Labyrinth. Along his way, though, he saw what he had been dreading – Jouegh's army was on the move. In the air, he paused for a moment, batting in place as he watched the army march. It was much larger than he had assumed – about ten thousand creatures – but its size was not unexpected. They were moving at a fast pace, and they were heading straight for his goblin city. Deciding that he had had enough viewing, Jareth continued on his way, going as fast as he could. He knew that they would get to his realm in about three days if they kept up the pace and rested at night. If they did not rest, however, then they would attack in perhaps two days time.

Seeing the size of the army, he knew that his goblins would not be enough; he would need some help from his neighbors.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo

When Jareth got back to his castle, he went immediately into his throne room in order to gather his thoughts. Seeing Jouegh's enormous army of perhaps ten thousand, Jareth began to worry about his own troops, which, at the moment, were just his measly goblins. Of them, there were probably maybe two thousand and those numbers were not good enough. Jouegh had gained the upper hand already, and Jareth desperately needed to find more aid for his cause.

However, he could only think of two neighbors that would be willing to get involved: the Giants to the west and the Elves to the north. Both of these creatures, if enlisted, would be a major help for they were some of the important powers down in the Underground.

Jareth was long time friends with the Elves and knew that they would undoubtedly help, for he had helped them in their time of need when the Minotaurs were invading their territory. They owed a debt to his realm, and he would be sure that they would lend their aid.

The Giants, on the other hand, were a completely different matter. They owed the Labyrinth nothing and they most certainly did not like to get involved in other races business – they liked to be isolated and secluded, left to deal with their own problems and no one else's. In order to gain their armies, Jareth would have to be very persuasive.

Jareth walked over to the window out-looking his Labyrinth and sat down on the ledge, his knees up in a crouching position. His gaze wandered out and over the many twists and turns that he called his own. The sky was turning an orange-to-pink color in the sunset, and the few clouds that were present were casting a quiet shadow over the forests. As he looked on at the impending silence of his land, he knew that in a few days, everything would change. His borders would be swarming with enemies and many rotting corpses would cover his land – possibly including many, or all, of his own loyal subjects.

Jouegh's armies would undoubtedly never be able to find their way through the Labyrinth and to his castle. But, even though Jareth could probably keep himself safe, he would not leave the edges of his realm to the mercy of ten thousand bloodthirsty creatures. He would not be a coward and hide away in the protection of his castle, just waiting to be overthrown. No, Jareth would go out and meet his adversaries, never giving way to weakness. He could fight the armies himself for decades, millennia's, never letting them get by. However, Jareth knew that once all his people – his goblins and loyal subjects – were gone, there would be nothing left for him here, or anywhere, and he would let himself go on to the next chapter – the afterlife.

Jareth sighed as he breathed in the refreshing night air. Tomorrow, he would go and retrieve the help of his neighbors and hopefully they would be enough to bring down Jouegh. He could only wish that Sarah would be all right through it all and not be harmed. His castle and his life would not be the same without her voice to fill the halls.

0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Jareth arrived in Flouë, the Elvin country, the following morning. The land was a lush green, with pure waterfalls and a giant stream that lasted for miles and then finally ended in an ocean. The trees were tall, over one hundred feet, and all were green – there wasn't a brown plant in sight. Also in Flouë, the buildings were all made of shining white stone, all casting a beautiful reflection over the already beautiful landscape. The sight truly was breathtaking.

The king of this wondrous land was called Aroyan. Jareth had known Aroyan for nearly the entire second half of his life, and they had become familiar presences to each other, forming somewhat of a friendship. He knew that this visit would be brief, trusting that his friend would be there to help him in a second.

In the throne room, Aroyan rose to his feet to greet his guest. The messenger boy, who had led Jareth into the room, introduced him as well.

"King Jareth of the Labyrinth," he said before he bowed and retreated from the room.

Aroyan walked over to Jareth greeted him accordingly. "Ah, my old friend, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"It is with troubling news that I come to you, I'm afraid," began Jareth.

The Elvin King frowned in disappointment. "And what news is this?"

Jareth sighed. "My brother," he said simply.

Aroyan took a slight step back. "Jouegh?"

Jareth nodded as he said, "Yes, that troublesome little pigeon is stirring up quite the mess. At this very moment, he has a ten thousand-man army marching towards my realm, preparing to overthrow me. Along with this act, he has also taken something very personal to my being, and I require its return immediately." He paused at the look he was receiving from his friend. "Oh, don't look at me like, Aroyan. He did not take my amulet again. He has taken Sarah," Aroyan "oh-ed" an understanding, for he had heard much about this human girl from Jareth, mainly on the night that she had defeated him. Jareth continued on in his story, "but to what purpose he intends with her is beyond my knowledge. I know that she has some sort of connection to the Labyrinth itself, but of what use she can be I do not know."

"This is grave news indeed," interjected Aroyan.

"Yes," continued Jareth. "You know what my brother is up to. He is out to harness the Labyrinth's power. But it is how he is going to do this that troubles me. He shall overtake my kingdom, throw out my subjects, and then plan his rule as supreme-being, or some other nonsense of that sort." He looked Aroyan straight in the eyes. "My armies do not have the man power needed in order to stop his attack. They need help in order to accomplish this."

Aroyan sighed as he put his hands out to his sides. "You know that you have my help, Jareth, but even with my armies, will that be enough to stop him?"

"I am going to the giants as well, in order to try and gain their allegiance. But above all else, it is not the amount of troops that we muster, but just the time that they can give. If I can get some time in order to figure out just what Jouegh plans on doing, and where he and Sarah have gone, then I might be able to find a way to stop him. Once he is defeated, then his armies will be called off as well."

Aroyan nodded his head. "If you believe that you can do it, then I have no other choice but to place my faith in you as well. You have my armies."

"You have my deepest thanks, Aroyan." Jareth turned to take his leave. "I will call on you when I have heard from the giants. Prepare your armies immediately – Jouegh's people will invade in most likely two days, if not sooner."

"I shall be ready," was all Aroyan said before Jareth left the room and went off to visit the giants.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Jareth arrived in the land of the giants later that afternoon. The land of the giants was much different compared to that of the Elves. The land was more dirt and large boulders than anything green and alive. The giants lived in caves and straw huts, each and every one carrying around a club. Occasionally throughout the land there were a few trees, but most of them were dead, or had just lost all of their leaves for the winter. However, even though the land was barren, at all times the sun cast an orangey glow everything, creating a beautiful picture of serenity.

When Jareth got to the kings hut, he was shown inside in somewhat of the same fashion as the Elves. Jareth greeted the king, Turmon, in a more formal way than he had greeted Aroyan since they were not on the same friendly terms.

Turmon was the first to speak. "Why are you here, King of the Goblins?"

"I require your aid in a most dreadful situation," explained Jareth. "There is an army on the edges of my realm, their leader wanting to overthrow me. This leader is my exiled brother, Jouegh. He has plans to overtake my kingdom and then use the Labyrinth's power to further his own." He paused. "The army is about ten thousand in size, and my goblins will not be enough to suffice. I have already enlisted the aid of the Elves, and now I ask for your service as well."

Turmon considered this for a moment, his large eyes closing lazily. "What does this have to do with my kingdom? Why should I get involved?"

"You are already involved; as soon as Jouegh gains control over the Labyrinth, he will not stop there. He will continue to every realm, including yours, and become king of them all."

"Such a thing is not possible!" exclaimed Turmon. "No being is as powerful as that!"

Jareth began to pace the room, his patience wearing thin. "You know very well about the power of the Labyrinth! With it at his disposal, nothing will be able to stop him!"

"To harness the Labyrinth in such a way is impossible."

"Jouegh has found a way, I can assure you. Otherwise, he would not even be attacking my kingdom."

Turmon was silent for a moment, considering if what Jareth said was the indeed the truth – if Jouegh would really try to take over all realms, including his own. He grunted as if he had finally come to a conclusion.

"This is grave news indeed, Goblin King," Turmon said quietly. "If he truly has found a way to retrieve the Labyrinth's power for himself, then we are all doomed. If sending in my armies will help to stop him, then I shall do it."

Jareth smiled. "Good. I thank you most deeply for your aid, Turmon, King of the Giants. If you would please ready your troops and immediately send them over to the Labyrinthine Kingdom, that would be best; Jouegh plans on attacking very soon, I believe – perhaps only a day or two."

"Then I will make most haste," replied Turmon as he stood up, making himself tower over Jareth. He summoned for a guard to come in, as well as a messenger. "Men, ready the army; we go to battle!"

0o0o0oo0o0o0oo00o

When Jareth got back to his own castle at long last, it was just becoming night, and the sky was a dark red, meaning a coming battle. At the end of both his meetings, Jareth was very relieved that the two groups would lend him their aid. Still, they would not amount to Jouegh's army's power, for they were still short by a couple thousand men. The giant's army was two thousand, the Elf's was three thousand, and his own army was two thousand as well. Of course, neither of these two groups had a mage such as himself in their parties, but in the end, that would prove to be indifferent, since his battle was with Jouegh, making him likely to be found off the battleground more often than on. However, he could only hope that he would stop Jouegh before he made it to the tree – the _right _tree, rather.

True, there was a tree in the forest, one that looked like that of the Labyrinth tree, but the real one was hidden. It lay in a most dangerous place to enter, unless the one entering held the correct key. This key was not an ordinary key; it did not unlock the door itself, rather what lay inside.

Jareth had heard of this key, but had never found it himself. Legends had hinted at what it may be, but no one truly knew…

Suddenly, like a flash, Jareth was standing on his feet, his eyes wide as he looked across the Labyrinth.

"No…" he whispered under his breath. "It can't be…"

_Sarah._

Sarah, of all people, was the key that could unlock everything. It made perfect sense: she defeated the Labyrinth, there was the prophecy, and the key… It all fit together, all leading to believe that Sarah was the one holding the power to unlock the Labyrinth, to gain hold of its power.

Jareth suddenly had the urge to smack something, anything. Grabbing his goblet, he threw it across the room and listened as it smacked the wall and then fell down with a clang. His breathing was heavy and loud, sending out the message either that he was suffocating or was just very, very angry.

Of course, it was the latter.

Most of all, Jareth was angry with himself that he had been such a fool. He could have figured out this vital bit of information long ago, since the answer was staring him in the face the entire time. He had had Sarah with him for so long, and he never figured it out. Worst of all, he had kept such an important thing under the most horrible protection! He had left her here, in his castle, with no guards, nothing, practically wide open, just screaming, "Here! Come and take the key to the Labyrinth's power!"

_Damn_. It was his own fault that she had been taken and that Jouegh now held the object that would indeed give him the power, the magic, and the world. It was because of his lack of propriety that Jouegh could be able to take over the world.

Jareth lifted his head up and looked out over the forests and the turns of the Labyrinth. This was his home, his life. He would not let Jouegh take everything away from him so easily. He would fight his brother in an attempt to right his wrongs and defeat the very thing that he had made possible. Whenever the armies came to his borders, he would be ready and waiting. He would be like a cat ready to pounce on his prey. And most of all, he would win.

_**A/N**__: Heehee! Next chapter, the climax begins! Yes, my darling, the war has started: 0_


	12. it dsnt mean thr hs to be a wy of things

_**Disclaimer**__: Yada, yada, yada… Labyrinth not mine. Jareth not mine. Sarah not mine. Any other thing you recognize not mine. Jouegh MINE! Lila MINE! Anything else you do not recognize MINE!_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_**Labyrinth: The Dream Never Ends**_

_By: Eriksleadinglady_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

**Chapter 11: It doesn't mean that there has to be a way of things**

The awaiting attackers stood at the edge of the Labyrinth, prepared to strike at the opportune moment – which was when their leader gave the signal. Across from them, guarding the Labyrinth with what little power they possessed, were Jareth's armies, as well as his comrades, which were those only fool enough to dare to stand in their way.

The defending army was miniscule in size, nothing compared to what they had: thousands upon thousands of determined soldiers, thirsty for their well-deserved power. Their own leader, Jouegh, stood at their side, a smirk lighting his face as he glared at his brother, his enemy. Next to Jouegh stood his trusted advisor and friend, Yakt, the Minotaur, who never seemed to leave the leader's sight. The Minotaur was a great warrior, which would come in handy for the battle ahead; he would be able to strike down many weaklings which plagued the Labyrinthine side.

With the strength that's placed within the army's ranks, not even Jareth, great defender and king of the Labyrinth, would be able to stop them.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Jareth and his army stood at the ready, prepared to do what was necessary in order to stop this menace. Turmon, Aroyan, and Jareth were at the head of the group, astride three great, white unicorns who had golden horns upon their heads. Jareth was clad in his black, regal armor, and his two companions were also clad in somewhat of the same attire, although Aroyan's was green and Turmon's was bronze.

When Jouegh's army was getting rather close, Jareth moved his unicorn to face the army and paced the first liners. As he did so, he said, "Today, my friends, is a mighty day. Today, we fight for our freedoms, for our magic! We will not stand by and let these ruffians, these dark creatures, take over what is rightfully ours. We have fought hard to obtain and keep this land; are we just going to let it all slip through our fingers to one who has done nothing? No! We will stand our ground and fight for what is right; we will destroy our enemies once and for all!"

The troops gave a roar of approval as they thrust their swords, spears, and other various weapons into the air. What their king said was true. They would not stand by while evil tried to take what was theirs: their homes, their lands, their families, and their lives. They would stand and fight their hardest, giving it their all in order to take Jouegh and his army down. Their ancestors had fought hard to secure the homeland, and now they would do the same.

These were their thoughts as the opposing army moved in to attack. As they got closer, Jareth gave the order and up above them, atop the great Labyrinth walls, the archers shot their arrows. The arrows flew though the air, silent as the night, and bombarded the target, killing many of the creatures with one single strike.

Again the archers readied their bow and arrows and shot them off to just the same effect. However, they could only attack in this pattern for three more times before the opposing army was in on the troops, the battle at last beginning.

0o0o000o0o000o0o0o0

Jareth got his first kill. It was a wolverine, standing four heads above him. His claws were mighty: sharp and dirtied from the many years of killing and now prepared to rip Jareth's throat out. The wolverine's claws arched out and he gave a loud roar, but he never got the chance to strike. With a large punch of magic, Jareth pummeled the creature with a giant rock that was originally a crystal. Then Jareth, wanting to save his magical energy, drew out his sword, ready for the next attacker.

Next to him, Aroyan was fairing well, his Elvin fighting abilities aiding him nicely. He held a long-sword, formed from a volcano long ago and a shield, both items blocking and attacking with great skill known only to be in an elf. It's his speed and agility that keeps him going.

Jareth turned his attention to the creature before him: a vampire with pale white skin and a black cape surrounding him. Seeing Jareth, the dark creature hissed and bared his sharp, canine teeth. However, Jareth just lowered his weapon and cocked his head to the side, sighing; vampires were the easiest to kill. The vampire was about to attack, but then, seemingly from nowhere, a silver stake pierced its heart, and the creature vanished into dust.

The Goblin King continued fighting with great ease, destroying anything that dared to attack him. There was no way that he would back down from this, or any, fight that came his way, especially since it was his brother who was heading the entire war. There was only one person that had ever defeated him and that, of course, was Sarah. However, Jareth didn't like to count her in having defeated him because, well, he just didn't like to. Besides, he could actually stand Sarah now: she's an amiable companion, had helped with Jouegh, and is understanding – for the most part. But letting Jouegh win would never do. If only Jareth could find his mangy brother and defeat him once and for all.

Jareth turned his head and, speak of the devil, there was Jouegh walking calmly through the armies toward him – nothing touching or fighting him. There was a confident smirk on his face as he took large strides toward Jareth. After Jareth killed his newest adversary, an orc, he turned to face his brother, who was now only a few feet away from him. Jouegh stopped walking and looked at his twin.

"Come, Jareth," Jouegh said softly instead of attacking. "I think I have something you will like to see."

Jouegh then placed a hand on Jareth's shoulder, causing Jareth to cringe, and then Jouegh used a transportation spell and they disappeared.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Meanwhile, inside of Jareth's castle, Lila was taking Sarah into the special room to secure her for later. Sarah was being dragged through the air, a short way above her captor, not able to do anything at all. This was being done by Jouegh's orders, for he knew that the castle would be nearly empty, all of its inhabitants fighting in the war, making the castle easy to travel through without detection – and he was completely correct.

The castle, once bustling with servants and guards, was utterly empty. There were no goblins running around making a mess, no chickens clucking here and there – they were all gone. For Sarah, this frightened her: all the quietness that was so unusual, the only sound Lila's boots, and not another soul in sight. Most of all, though, was the lack of Jareth's presence and his taunting behavior that concerned her. Never had Sarah been in the castle, alone, for so long. She had not seen Jareth in sometime, and she feared that she was beginning to miss him. The castle just wasn't the same without him – it was as though all the magic has gone.

In front and below Sarah, was Lila, walking confidently through the halls. Although Sarah barely knew her, she knew that she highly disliked Lila. Not necessarily for what she was doing to Sarah now, but because of what she wants and plans to do; besides, she's mean. Lila wants to take over the planet and become high queen next to Jouegh. But hadn't she considered that once she helps Jouegh with his plans, he would just dispose of her and get another mistress? Doing all this was going to be such a waste, and Lila would most likely get nothing out of it in the end. Did she even realize that she would most likely be replaced?

Sarah looked down at Lila's assured walking form and decided probably not. Which, if Sarah were under different circumstances, would make her pity Lila, but as it were, Sarah would be glad when Lila received her just desserts.

At last the pair made it to their destination, and Lila set Sarah down in front of the door. When Sarah looked up, her eyes widened in shock and fear.

"We're going in there?" she asked, astonished.

Lila looked at the door. "Yes, isn't it a fine door? The engraving of the leaves and vines are just exquisite, are they not?"

"But Jareth warned me to never go in there," complained Sarah. "He said it's too dangerous."

"Well then he obviously didn't know who you are," replied Lila calmly. "It is perfectly safe, I assure you." As an afterthought she added, "At least for me."

Then Lila pushed the door open without a second thought and took Sarah inside as well. When Sarah saw what was inside, her mouth dropped open. It was positively beautiful. In the middle was a giant tree, somewhat like the one in her dream, except that this one was all gold. Surrounding the tree was an entire forest, filled with streams and wildflowers of every kind. Lila, however, seemed not to be taken aback by the beauty, for she just continued walking onwards to the tree, not looking around whatsoever. Still, Sarah couldn't help but be in awe of her surroundings and took in every bit of the magical paradise.

When they got to the tree, Sarah stood there and just stared up at it. Lila must have been watching intently for she said, "Why must you look at that tree as if it's a God? It will be your downfall, you know."

"We'll see," responded Sarah without turning her head.

"You still think that you can escape your fate? It is inevitable, Sarah."

"Nothing has been sealed."

Lila raised her brows. "You want me to seal it in blood? That I'll gladly do. But, sadly, I cannot harm one hair on your pretty little head."

Sarah finally looked over at Lila. "That is too bad, because I could harm yours."

Lila threw back her head in laughter. "You couldn't even if you tried, little girl. You have no training in magical abilities; what would you do, throw some grass at me?"

Sarah stared down at the grass that Lila spoke of. "I don't think it likes you."

But this only caused a fit of more laughter to arise from Lila. "Oh, you are too good! Come, come now. No more games, Sarah. Jouegh wants me to secure you right next to that magnificent tree. So are you going to come easily or must I force you?"

"I shall go."

Sarah then walked calmly over to her dream tree, and placed herself directly next to it. "Is this good?" she asked.

Lila grinned. "Perfect."

With a thrust of her hands, a large, blue sphere formed out in front of Lila and shot out toward Sarah, who still stood there unflinching. The sphere made impact with Sarah instantly and then she found herself immersed in a blue, gel-like liquid inside of a giant bubble, much like the one she had found herself in at Jouegh's hands. However, although Sarah was submerged in liquid, she could breath perfectly fine, nothing out of place. Still, she wondered why she must be prisoner in such a mechanism. What was its purpose? She shook her head. She seemed to be asking a lot of questions these days. What's done is done. No turning back. Now she must face her destiny.

Suddenly, before her very eyes, two figures appeared out of nowhere, right next to Lila. She squirmed when she saw that one of them was Jareth. He was supposed to be fighting, trying to stop the armies and Jouegh. But then why was he in his brother's custody now? Who would save her?

When Jareth saw Sarah inside of the entrapment, his reaction was instantaneous. He turned on Jouegh and snarled, "You cannot do this!"

But within a few seconds, Jouegh snapped his fingers, and reformed behind Sarah. Jouegh looked through the bubble and saw that everything was directly in line. Finally, everything was set in place in order to give him his absolute power.

"Jareth! Observe now, my dear brother, as your beautiful little pet is nearly sucked dry. At last I shall take my rightful place as ruler!"

Then, quick as a flash, Jouegh took control of Sarah's body and forced her to touch the tree. Sarah watched in muted horror as her finger reached out through the bubble and made contact with the hot, gold tree. Immediately after she had touched it, her hand went back inside of the bubble, a tiny boil forming on her index finger, and that's when the entire room began to rumble.

_**A/N**_: _Oh, I am too evil…. What a cliffie, eh? Oh well, I guess you'll just have to drop me a line and let me know what you think… Maybe my muse, Snapiekins, will be kind to you and help me update quickly…_

_Thanks for reading!_

_Mwahahahaha!_

_E. Ll_


	13. No spcl sns that hddn hnds are pllng str

_**Disclaimer**__: You know the drill. If I owned this, I would be rich and I would own Dumbo. The dvd. Sadly, I do not. So there! I'm poor: ( And I don't own Jareth! But I do own his evil twin… at least he looks like Jareth, right? But, I don't own his looks… so I just own an enigma! Wah! I don't want an evil spirit!_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_**Labyrinth: The Dream Never Ends**_

_By: Eriksleadinglady_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

**Chapter 12: No special sense that hidden hands are pulling strings**

In the room, as the rumbling continued, Jareth kept his eyes on Sarah. Instead of the intense fear and worry that he expected to see, Sarah was calm, like she knew this was bound to happen; though, how she would know was beyond Jareth. But Sarah stood inside the bubble, or rather floated there, and just stared peacefully at the tree, waiting for it to come.

When at last it did come, the tree formed its familiar face, proving once and for all that it was the tree from her dreams, grotesque face and all. The tree looked at Sarah and without a word leaned over, its trunk bending forward at the middle, and then arched itself back. As it finished the arch and came back to its center, the tree shot out a line of brilliant white light from its eyes toward Sarah. If Sarah had not been in the bubble, she would have absorbed the light, taking in the magical energy that it offered. However, as it is, the light went straight through the bubble, like it wasn't even there, and went past it into Jouegh, who accepted it like it was coming home.

Upon impact with the power, Jouegh doubled over and nearly fell, but he ended up keeping his balance. Once all the light was within him, causing an unnatural glow – bright like the Friday Night Lights – he began laughing, as he stood up tall. He stretched his hands up to the sky, making it begin to rumble from the now forming storm.

While this happened, Jareth took hold of the chance and ran over to Sarah. But try as he might, he could not access his magick in order to free her. Inside the bubble, Sarah was not moving, but just floating in the liquid, her head bent down and nearly touching her chest. Jareth placed his hands on the sides of the bubble in an attempt to break the hold, but it refused to budge. He tried once more, even harder, but still nothing. Thus Jareth instead put his hands by his side and just stared sadly at Sarah, which was the only thing he could do.

Meanwhile, after Jouegh had gotten the magick, Lila had run over to Jouegh's side, a smile on her face. Once she got to him, she placed her hands on his shoulders and whispered something in his ear. This stopped his onslaught of laughter, and he looked at Lila, a frown growing on his face.

"You dare to interrupt me for that!" he roared as he brought his hand up and struck Lila across her face with a slash of light in the shape of a long, sharp claw. The blow knocked Lila to the ground and made a large gouge on the side of her cheek, which began oozing blood. The cut was so deep that one could see the cheek bone beginning to show and as the blood kept coming out, it ran all over Lila's face and matted her hair with it too.

Turning away from the unconscious Lila, Jouegh faced Jareth and Sarah. With a snap of his fingers, Jouegh released Sarah from her entrapment and the bubble burst, sending Sarah to the ground, the blue liquid surrounding her.

It was only then that Jareth could see the real damage done to Sarah. Because she was the one that was supposed to have gotten the magick, and because she was the link, the magick traveling through her body caused her to appear weak and withered. Over her face, the skin was tightening over the bones, and she was becoming pale as the moon. Also her entire body was becoming so as well, making her appear emaciated. Jareth bent down next to her and cradled her head in his hands. Then he glared at Jouegh, who just stood there with his arms crossed over his chest, smirking arrogantly.

"You're going to kill her!" Jareth bellowed.

"I would if I could, Jareth," Jouegh said sincerely enough to make it sound insincere. "However, the Labyrinth needs her in order to keep the flow of magick coming to me. If she were to die, the connection would be lost, and I would no longer have my superb magical abilities. Now wouldn't that be a shame?"

Jareth moved his gaze from Jouegh to Sarah and for a split second thought of what he could do. It would only take a moment to stop Jouegh from having power, and it would save the entire Underground…

As if sensing his murderous thoughts, Jouegh, with his hand out-stretched, grabbed hold of Jareth and craned him into the air.

"Why Jareth! I am ashamed at your thoughts! You would kill her in order to stop me? I feel so… powerful. But honestly, Jareth, you would murder your sweet, dear, little mortal child in order to defeat me? Shame, shame. I thought she meant more to you."

Jareth shot daggers with his eyes at Jouegh. "She means more to me than you could ever know. But one life to save a billion? That's something I am willing to do."

Jouegh shook his head in disbelief. "I am not going to kill a billion people, Jareth." A pause. "I have others who are going to do it for me. Boys!"

Suddenly, all around the room, the ground began to tremble and shake. From the ground, in various places, large holes formed that were twenty-five feet wide and appeared to go down to the depths of hell. Out of one of the holes, to the far left of Jareth, came four of the Titans: Cronus, Atlas, Crius, and Hyperion. All were giant: nearly touching the ceiling of the room they were in – which was over one hundred fifty feet tall. After the four had grouped themselves around Jouegh, through another hole came Cerberus: the giant, three-headed monstrous dog known as one of the guardians of the Underworld. Then, from the last hole flew out a mighty, red dragon. He circled the ceiling with a wingspan of seventy-five feet, roaring as he did so, and then he landed by Jouegh.

Once all his mighty companions were settled, Jouegh looked over them all carefully. He smiled when he was pleased and then addressed them all in a formal manner.

"Welcome, mighty creatures from hell!" he began. "Today, I call you all here for one purpose and once purpose alone: to destroy. I want to incinerate all human kind and enslave the magical creatures. Humans have no right to live on this planet and are just a nuisance. For one they do not believe in any of us. That shows their ignorance and now they shall pay for their lack of faith. The creatures Underground – Fairies, Elves, Goblins, and the like – they no longer have the power that was granted to them so long ago. It has been drained from them for they do not deserve it. What have they done with it? Keep them alive? How selfish. But you all… You rely on more than magick – sheer strength. Thus, I command you all to go out to the world and take back what is rightfully ours! And, as a bonus, whatever you overthrow, whatever territory you defeat, shall become yours! Not only that, but I shall give each of you more magical powers in order to efficiently squash those whom stand in our way." He paused as the group gave noise of approval. "So go, my brethren! Go and destroy those weaker than you! Which is, by chance, everyone. Enjoy."

The creatures roared as they went on their way, the floor shaking when they walked. When the beings got outside the castle, Cronus reached up and ripped open a door to the Aboveground – England to be exact. He and the other three Titans stepped through the opening and went to conquer all lands, while the other two – Cerberus and the dragon – went to capture the Underground.

0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The people of England were having a normal day. Some were having their afternoon tea while others were working their daily jobs. All was peaceful and it was just like any other day – that is until the monsters came. From what appeared to be out of nowhere came the destructors. Immediately upon seeing them, panic arose in everyone. The people began to scream and run away, a mob forming from all the havoc. The streets were filled with sprinting people, all trying to get to safety, although they didn't really know what could keep them safe. Still they ran all the same, keeping together in a large, screaming mass.

However, from the four titans, only Cronus stayed – one Titan was enough to take over England and all of Europe. From the other Titans, Hyperion went to Asia, Crius went to the America's, and Atlas went to Australia and the other remaining continents. Each continent was the same as England: people running and screaming, trying to get away into their houses, fear crawling into the depths of their hearts.

Even the army came to try and stop the monsters, shooting guns and missiles, but no weapon could cause any damage. The Titans only walked on and destroyed the pitiful humans and their machines.

0o0o0o00o0o0o0o0o0o

Underground, Jouegh had conquered all the territories. After he had received his power and sent out his henchmen, all the magical beings had noticed the lack of their powers. Each being was shocked and disturbed as to why they were powerless. None of them had any idea what was going on and why they could no longer conjure up any magick.

And that's when their entire world changed.

Quick as a flash, the land was relieved of its beauties and natural wonders. There were no more streams, trees, blue skies, or bright, shining suns. All was taken away and transformed into something sinister and horrendous; a barren wasteland of nothingness. All was dry and empty, bearing much resemblance to Jouegh's first place of rule, the Middle Kingdom. The transformation scared many of the inhabitants, and in order to stop the panic, many of the leaders had to call all the people into a giant meeting and talk to them to reassure them.

In the Labyrinth, where the armies were battling, when the land transformation took place, all the fighting stopped. Everyone, good and bad, looked around them in bewilderment. The Elves especially felt the loss of magick flowing through the veins. The dark creatures, on the other hand, looked at the opposing side and snarled menacingly. Their king had said that this would happen when he had won.

Then the dark creatures moved in on the Giants, Elves, and Goblins for one last time. Still, the Labyrinthine side did not give up. Taking a firm grasp on their weapons, they gave one last charge on their enemies, even though they had lost most of their own strength.

But before much damage was done to either side, a giant roar came from above them. They all looked up and saw a mighty, red dragon emerge from the gray, cloudy sky, swooping down at them. A line of fire rushed out of its mouth as it soared at its prey. All the creatures readied themselves for the oncoming terror, but their weaponry was useless. Against the dragon's magical power and sheer strength, they were all defenseless. The dragon, however, did not only attack Jareth's army, but also Jouegh's. It seemed as though they were doomed to meet the same fate as the others. Even with both sides now combined, they didn't stand a chance. Both sides surrendered soon enough and the dragon flew in one last giant circle, and then perched upon the Labyrinth wall to overlook its captives.

Much of the same thing happened in all the other kingdoms, except Cerberus took them over. None of the beings stood a chance without their magick; all were taken over effortlessly. The inhabitants were shackled and taken as prisoners to be slaves. All the creatures would have to be put to use in the new land to help dig for riches, tend to Jouegh's every need, and rebuild the kingdoms to make them please Jouegh. Of course, Jouegh could have done the latter with a snap of his fingers, but where's the fun in that?

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Back Aboveground, the humans, now clustered in one area in each large city, began to form an insurgence. They wanted a last retaliation to give them a chance to live. Already, perhaps one fifth of the population had been killed, and the remaining humans did not want to end up the same way. So they gathered the remaining armies and navies, gathered every weapon they could find, and prepared for one last large-scale attack.

When they were ready, the humans rushed out to attack, weapons in hand, yelling battle cries of every sort. But when they reached the streets, the monsters were nowhere to be found. Just a second ago, the monsters had been on their doorsteps, ready to annihilate them, but now they were nowhere. At first the humans were silent, whispering amongst themselves, but then yells erupted throughout the crowd, everyone cheering for the victory. Some in the crowd, however, were skeptical, for why would the creatures leave so soon?

Underground, the monsters had all left as well. When all the magical beings were in chains and being led to their new homes, the intruders just vanished. In their chains, the beings murmured. They did not cheer, for they were still in chains, and surely the monsters would return. Right?

_**A/N:**__ Sigh… this story is coming to an end! Only two more chapters! Gasp! I know! What in the world will they do? What will happen? How will they escape? Tune in next time! Many things are revealed!_

_Thanks fro reading and reviewing! Snapiekins and I appreciate it!_

_Oh la la!_

_E. Ll_


	14. But lvng on in others in memories n drms

_**Disclaimer**__: You know the drill. If I owned this, I would be rich and I would own Dumbo. The dvd. Sadly, I do not. So there! I'm poor: ( And I don't own Jareth! But I do own his evil twin… at least he looks like Jareth, right? But, I don't own his looks… so I just own an enigma! Wah! I don't want an evil spirit!_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_**Labyrinth: The Dream Never Ends**_

_By: Eriksleadinglady_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

**Chapter 13: But living on in others, in memories and dreams**

While the monsters where out conquering, Jouegh had transferred himself, Jareth, and Sarah to the Middle Kingdom. Once there, with a snap of his fingers, Jouegh transformed the entire Underground into the barren wasteland, where all the magical beings were shackled. After doing this, Jouegh walked confidently over to Jareth, who was still sitting by Sarah. When he was next to him, Jouegh lifted his fist, a glow of white light around it, and then swung it in a clockwise arc, causing Jareth to fly back and hit the stonewall behind him.

After he hit the wall, Jareth crumpled over to the ground, laying in a fetal position. Then Jouegh walked over to him again and kicked him in the stomach and punched him square in the jaw. Jouegh then wiped his nose and snorted at his pathetic brother, turning away from Jareth after he did so. Without looking back, Jouegh created an iron cell around Jareth in order to keep an eye on him.

Once Jareth was taken care of, Jouegh went to Sarah's side and crouched next to her. He checked her vital signs, nodded his approval, and then rose to his feet. In order to keep his prize secure, Jouegh created a large, glass coffin placed on a golden table stand. Inside of the coffin, he placed Sarah, arranging her Snow-White style.

Looking at Sarah, Jouegh looked back over his triumph. He had done everything he had set out to do: conquer the Labyrinth, enslave all beings, and receive all the magick of the Labyrinth. At this moment in time, life was good, and it would remain good forever and ever, for could overthrow him? There was no one left! With a smirk on his face, Jouegh turned away from his two captives and sat on his thrown. He looked to his left and created a large, gold crown adorned with sapphires, rubies, and emeralds. Raising his hands, he moved the crown from the desk and onto his head. Once he was settled, he relaxed into the thrown and smiled at his accomplishments.

0o0o0o00o0o0o0o00o

A couple hours later, Jouegh awoke after a slight doze, still sitting in his thrown, adorned with his treasure. He looked around him, startled for a moment, the past a little fuzzy. But when it all came back to him, he grinned delightedly. He was king and ruler of all. Sarah was secured and… Wait a minute… he thought. Wasn't Sarah…?

He looked at Sarah's glass coffin, but she was not there. He furrowed his brow. There was no possible way that she could have escaped, for she was indefinitely disabled in a coffin. However, as much as he tried to logically deny it, Jouegh could not change the fact that Sarah was not in her rightful place.

Jolting him out of his thoughts, he heard a rustling from behind him. Rising from his seat, Jouegh turned around to investigate the noise. When he did so, however, he was thrown backward from a jolt of purple light. It struck him square in the chest and sent him backward at the speed of light from its strength.

In a slight daze, Jouegh looked up from his seated position to find what had hit him. When he saw it, he stared at it in disbelief.

"No…" he whispered. "Impossible…"

Before him was Sarah, yet somehow, it wasn't Sarah. Her eyes were ablaze and her brown hair was floating out around her. She was in the air, about a foot above the ground and was moving slowly toward Jouegh. Her skin was still pulled taut around her bones, but her lips were a deep red.

When she spoke, her lips never moved. "Because you used me, destroyed you will be."

Jouegh couldn't process the information, still in a state of bewilderment. This could not be happening to him. Just a few seconds before, he had been the king of everyone. But now this… this _thing_ was threatening him. And that magick it had used… it was so powerful. Testing his own magick, Jouegh tried to create something, anything, but found that it, no, _he_, was useless.

"Your magick is gone; you misused the bond," Sarah said. Her voice sounded to different. It was majestic, almost, sounding throughout the entire room, echoing off every wall.

"Who are you?" Jouegh finally managed to ask.

Immediately, after he had asked the question, a rush of air struck out at him, plastering him against the wall. "You dare to ask me who I am?" roared Sarah. "I am the magick. I am the power. I am the Labyrinth."

"But you're not alive!" yelled Jouegh, who only managed to enrage the entity even more.

"I give magick. I created you. You continue to say that I am not real? Perhaps you are not real…"

Suddenly Jouegh felt a weird feeling pulling at his body. He looked down and gasped in fear at what was happening to him. His body was disintegrating. Moving from his hands inward, his body was melting away into the air, until he was only a mere shadow.

"What have you done to me?"

"You take from me, I take from you. You take what I granted, I take back what I granted."

"My body? But... how?"

"I grant you life. In order to live, magick I give. The breath of life, from magick it comes."

"You've taken my life…" Jouegh whispered under his breath.

Sarah only nodded.

"What am I?"

"An empty shell. You are nothing; will always be nothing. Forever walking this earth, alone you will be. No one will see you, no one will feel you, and no one will make contact with you. Never able to move on, creature contact will never come. The after life for you does not exist. Hell for you will be this eternal mist."

Throwing him into a fit of panic, mist began to form in front of Jouegh's eyes until be could no longer see. Jouegh lifted his hand to the front of his face, but as hard as he tried, he could no longer see.

"Forever thirsty, you will be. Forever you will be hungry, but will find no meat."

Immediately Jouegh felt both hunger and thirst, but could not see or find anything to satiate him.

"Pain forever, your body will feel. Stuck in a burning flame, your body will never heal."

And just like before, what Sarah said happened. Jouegh felt like he was in a burning pit of fire with no way to escape. He screamed out in pain, clawing at his body, but nothing helped. Slowly he crumpled to the floor, weeping not only from the pain, but also from the fact that forever he would feel these things. Nothing would ever end and nothing would ever be taken away. Now he was officially damned.

"Go now, ye cursed being. Wander the earth with no hope, because this sentence is not fleeting."

Not wanting to get any more punishments thrust upon his head, Jouegh immediately left the room, following the wall as he went, hoping that he would not run into anything. He nearly tripped over the corner of the wall, but kept going on, as quickly a he could, needing to get away from the monster. He wanted food, he wanted water, and he wanted sight but knew that nothing would ever come to him. Forever he would want to kill himself, but he knew that he could never do that; he was dead. He was in hell and forever he would stay there.

0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

Back inside the castle, Jareth was sitting within his cell, staring at Sarah with awe. He had never seen anything like her before, nor had he ever imagined that this possession could take place. He had watched the seen with his brother just a few minutes before, and although he thought that he would feel happy, Jareth felt a little pity for Jouegh. The punishment that the Labyrinth had bestowed seemed fitting enough, but still, to live out his life in pain and misery was sad for any creature to endure.

After Jouegh left, Sarah turned her attention to Jareth. Slowly, still floating, she moved toward him, eyes still blazing with a red, fiery glow. When she was a few feet in front of the cell, the iron bars disappeared, enabling Jareth his freedom. Still, however, he did not move – did not dare to move.

Then Sarah's majestic voice filled the halls. "Jareth, Goblin King of the Labyrinth, you have aided me well. Although you failed, in it you did not dwell. Your brother now gone, you can live in peace. But for his punishment, you must not weep. Deserve it, he did. From it, he hid. Now forever in misery he will live."

She paused for a moment. "Soon I will return to my former being. Out of this body, I will be fleeing. Back my tree, I will watch over thee. But remember, Goblin King, this human love is not just a fling. Love is strong. You must not pass this up. Never let her go. Farewell, Jareth. Fear me, love me, and I will be your slave."

A faint smile played on Sarah's lips for a fleeting moment, and then a line of light rushed out of her mouth and rose over the castle, flying back to its realm. Once the magic was gone from her body, Sarah fell to the floor in a heap, unconscious.

Jareth rushed over to her and took her up in his arms. As if feeling him there, Sarah awoke and weakly whispered, "Jareth?"

The king only hushed her and said, "It's okay Sarah. It's all over now. Get some rest, my dear." Then as an afterthought he added, "And don't worry, I'll never let you go."

_**A/N:**__ Only one more chapter, darlings! I hope you all have enjoyed this story thus far, and if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask! Please let me know what you think and how I can better myself as a writer! Thanks very much! _

_Much, much, much, much love, _

_E. Ll_


	15. Is not enough and it never is

_**Disclaimer**__: Alas, Labyrinth and its characters, places, and movie events, belong to Mr. Jim Hensen. I am just a lowly nobody. With no money, no home, no food… I typed this up on a rock in the local city dump. Okay, not really… but you get the point!_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_**Labyrinth: The Dream Never Ends**_

_By: Eriksleadinglady_

-

-

-

-

-

_**A/N:**__ Wow, this took a long time to get out! Probably because I had this all typed and done, but then I lost it and I just haven't felt like retyping it. So please, enjoy, and if any of my readers remain, please let me know you are out there and drop me a review. I will be shocked, but most pleased. Thank you all so very, very much._

-

-

-

**Chapter 14: It's not enough and it never is…**

Goblin Queen. Such a daunting title, but the marriage wasn't about getting the title; it was about getting the man she loved.

After all that Sarah had been through, she considered herself no better than before. More refined, less naïve, yes, but other than that, she was still essentially the same person.

But as she looked at herself in the mirror, bedecked in white, lace, and feathers, she could barely recognize herself. It was as though she was glowing and her eyes took on a look of understanding, but also of sorrow. They were a darker color, it seemed, than before. And by before, she means of course before Jouegh and the Labyrinth.

Compared to anything else, the last month or so changed her.

But looking at herself once more in the mirror, she was content with the changes and ready to move on. Almost. There was still one more conversation to be had and, of course, the wedding. Soon, she would be Mrs. Jareth: the Goblin Queen, Sarah.

Flashing a dazzling smile at her reflection, she left the room and began the descent down the aisle to her awaiting groom.

Many of the Underground creatures made their way to the ceremony, mainly just to see the mortal girl that had the connection to the Labyrinth, but also out of respect and love for Jareth. But not only did Fae arrive, but also Sarah's friends - Dex, Hoggle, Sir Didymus, and Ludo - all made appearances. Jareth refused to tell her how they remembered her and their adventures together, but she knew he had something to do with it; he always did.

As she walked down the aisle, she noticed the many smiles of the Fae, and held up her own smile for all to see, although tears were prickling in her eyes.

Jareth looked handsome as always, his hair wild and his black, grey, and white suit impeccable. He looked proud and the look of love in his eyes was noticeable to everyone

She got to the altar, and their hands entwined. The following words and vows went by in a blur, and before Sarah knew it, she was married. He who was once her arch nemesis was now her faithful, adoring husband, and she wouldn't have had it any other way.

0o0o00o000o0o0o00o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Sitting in front of the fire, she felt his arms snake around her. She couldn't help the smile that immediately adorned her face.

"How are you thing evening, my Goblin Queen?" he said huskily.

Leaning back against him, she replied, "Just thinking."

"I've never met a woman who thought so much," he mentioned playfully. "And what thoughts are you entertaining?"

Her smile faltered. "Toby."

She felt him tense behind her. "Ah, the never-mentioned-boy. Are you ready?"

She thought it over for a moment, but she already knew the answer. Before she could speak, Jareth asked ever so softly, "What happened, Sarah?"

At least, she had _thought_ she was ready. But now she was unsure whether or not she could actually say it. She gulped back the tears. "There was… a fire…"

_Smoke billowed in a puff above the elementary school. It was a disaster that no one had foreseen, that no one had ever thought possible. Especially Sarah._

_She was running through the street, pushing through the crowds, trying to get to the burning school. Fire trucks lined all the red-edged curbs and the hoses were spraying out water. However, the damage could already be seen on the old brick building. It was charred and quickly destabilizing; it might collapse at any moment. _

_Sarah managed to push her way to the front of the gathering crowd, but was then stopped by the nearest firefighter._

"_I am sorry, ma'am," he said, holding out his arms, "but no one is allowed inside. It is far too dangerous."_

_She still tried to push past. "Bu my brother, my brother is inside!"_

_The man shook his head. He pointed over to the other side of the street. "All of the children have been evacuated. I am sure he is with them."_

_Not listening to another word, Sarah rushed off toward the group of huddled, frightened children. Many were already with their parents, sobbing into necks, shoulders, and legs._

_Rushing into the new group, Sarah searched out Toby's teacher,_

"_Mrs. Notts! Mrs. Notts!" Sarah yelled._

_The woman's tear-stained face turned toward hers. "Ms. Williams! Sarah!"_

_She grabbed the teacher's shoulders. "Where's Toby? Is he safe?"_

_Her eyes searched over the group, but did not find her brother. Still, Mrs. Notts did not answer. " Mrs. Notts?" her voice whispered. "Where is by brother?"_

_Mrs. Notts seemed to be at a loss for words. She struggled to find anything to say, and then she just broke down in tears. "I-I don't k-know how it happened! I t-thought I had e-everyone with me, b-but when I checked again, h-he wasn't there! I-I'm so sorry, Sarah! I-I think he's s-still inside!"_

_The world seemed to stop spinning, and Sarah felt as though she would either faint or vomit; perhaps both. Mrs. Notts's mouth continued moving, but Sarah wasn't listening, how could she? _

_Her little baby brother, her meaning for life, could be dead right now, burned to ash along with his school. Silently, Sarah turned away from the woman and began running back toward the school._

_The fire was now put out, but still no one was allowed near it. A few firefighters were entering the premise, however, in search of anyone left behind and any surviving materials._

_Sarah could only wait for the men to return and it seemed to go on forever. The search lasted a little under an hour, and for that time, Sarah was deaf to the rest of the world. None of it mattered; all that mattered was that her brother was lost somewhere, and she may never see him again._

_When the firefighters returned, they were carrying two small body bags. Before anyone said a word to her and before the bodies were even identified, Sarah knew that one of them was her brother, Toby._

Sarah had tears falling freely down her face, not caring what she looked like, or that she was showing weakness in front of the Goblin King. She missed Toby. She would always miss Toby.

She wiped her face. "It wasn't until later that they notified me and my family. The two bodies were found side-by-side in the bathroom. The story was that the girl – the other body – was in the bathroom and Toby went in after her. She didn't know what was happening, and she didn't want to leave once she got frightened. Toby went in to try and save her and get her out. Even at the cost of his own life, he wouldn't leave." Then she laughed. "They tried to make it sound as if he died trying to be a hero, that we should all be proud of what Toby tried to do. But it didn't matter, of course it wouldn't. His death could never be justified and nothing, no heroism or heartfelt sympathy cards could bring him back."

Jareth's hand was on her shoulder. "Life is for the living, Sarah. He wouldn't want you grieving."

She offered him a wry smile. "I know. I know he wouldn't. He was such a good kid, and I miss him, and I always will. There was no reason for him to die." She paused. "The girl's parents even sent us a thank you card. And a sympathy card. They showed their gratitude, even though Toby was unable to save their daughter. That, I think, is what helped the most. They were going through the same thing, and yet they thought of us, even it was maybe guilt, but I don't think so."

"I don't know what console I can give you, Sarah," said Jareth solemnly, "but I am glad that you've told me. Now I can understand you that much better."

"I'm glad I told you. It feels better, somehow, opening up and sharing it with someone. I… I think I can definitely be happy now." She smiled brightly at him, and at her sudden change of countenance, he wasn't sure whether or not he could duplicate her joy. "I have the man I love by my side, and nothing can change that. I should be the happiest woman alive, and I am. I have lived a full life, and to my luck, I am just about to begin another."

At last, Jareth felt like he could smile. She was being honest with him. "I don't know how much I believe the surety of that whole statement, but I can assure you that this journey will be unlike any other. The strife's of the past" – both Toby and the most recent events were hinted at in that statement – "will not come to haunt us again. We have a bright future, and a never ending one at that."

Sarah kissed him then, fully and passionately, as though they would never be together again, even though they had a full, immortal life ahead of them. At that moment, both Sarah and Jareth, King and Queen of the Goblins, were blissfully happy and nothing could disturb them.

THE END


End file.
